The Terror and Bliss of Impersonal Existence: Levinas and Śāntideva Śāntideva on (No)-Self

Abstract

This thesis seeks explores the fear arising from impersonal existence, seeking philosophies to understand and respond to such existential anxiety through a comparative study of the thoughts of Emmanuel Levinas and Śāntideva. Although their philosophies are rooted in different cultural and historical contexts, both can be explored in relatively secular language, therefore offering possibilities for philosophical discussion in a contemporary context.

The paper first discusses the anxiety in Levinas' phenomenology arising from ‚Äúil y a‚Äù, a pure existence experienced especially during insomnia, where the inescapability of existence causes anxiety and fear. Levinas attempts to find an escape from this solitary and confined existence through encounters with alterity, particularly in the experiences of eros and fecundity in his earlier work. In contrast, the Buddhist philosophy presented by Śāntideva in the BodhicaryƒÅvatƒÅra confronts the fear of death and deconstructs the illusion of an independent self, offering an antidote by emphasizing the interconnectedness of beings and caring for others.

In the comparative analysis, this paper points out the methodological similarities in the way both thinks understand the constructed nature of self-identity as well as the differences in their paths to transcend the limitations of the self. While Levinas finds modes of relational existence, Śāntideva emphasizes the importance of meditative insight and ethics. The paper further examines how these two philosophical frameworks have the potential in addressing broader existential anxieties on the fear of annihilation, which often comes from the illusion of an isolated self.