COMPARATIVE STUDY WITH MODERN PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL THEORIES

Authors:

Ven. Ho Kim Truong

Ph.D. Research Schoolar, Samrat Ashok School of Buddhist Studies

Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, India

Supervisor: Dr RAJESH KUMAR RAI

Abstract

Buddhist psychological and ethical theories and modern psychology show some fundamental similarities but also profound differences in purpose, method, and object. Buddhist ethics and psychology share significant overlaps with modern Western theories, particularly in mindfulness applications and emotional regulation, but diverge in their views on the self and ultimate goals. Comparative studies highlight how Buddhist concepts like sīla (moral precepts) and Abhidhamma analysis integrate ethics into cognition, contrasting with secular psychology's symptom-focused approaches.

Buddhist psychology views negative emotions as rooted in ignorance and attachment, aiming for transformative insight via practices like mindfulness. In contrast, modern psychology treats them as adaptive responses needing regulation for well-being. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) adapt Buddhist techniques into therapies like CBT's third wave, emphasizing awareness and non-reactivity, though often omitting deeper ethical dimensions. Humanistic and existential psychologies align closely, promoting self-actualization and personal responsibility akin to Buddhist self-development.

Buddhist ethics emphasize virtue cultivation through the Eightfold Path, closer to virtue ethics than deontology's rule-based imperatives or utilitarianism's outcome calculations, with karma guiding compassionate action over self-interest. Abhidhamma embeds ethics in cognitive processes, countering greed and fear ethically, unlike Western models' neutral cognition. Mahayana approaches prioritize compassion and intuition, expanding beyond rule ethics.

Keywords: Comparative Philosophy, Buddhist Ethics, Modern Psychology, Moral Philosophy, Psychological Well-being, Ethical Theory, Human Behavior and Morality, Mindfulness and Mental Health, Virtue Ethics, Cognitive Psychology, Moral Development, Compassion and Altruism, Buddhist Moral Psychology