Buddhist Theories of Mind and Their Contemporary Ethical Implications
A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444). This special issue belongs to the section "Religions and Humanities/Philosophies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 7
Special Issue Editors
Interests: Buddhist philosophy; Buddhist psychology; Buddhist ethics; humanistic Buddhism in Taiwan; Chinese philosophy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Buddhist theories of mind are increasingly discussed in dialogue with psychology, cognitive science, neuroscience, philosophy, and psychiatry. At the same time, ethical reflection in these fields often lacks sustained engagement with non-Western philosophical traditions. This Special Issue promotes interdisciplinary dialogue that situates Buddhist theories of mind within contemporary philosophical and scientific conversations, while highlighting their ethical significance.
We invite contributions that bring Buddhist thought into conversation with theoretical models or empirical research, exploring convergences and tensions across mind, consciousness, emotion regulation, attention, self, intention, and related domains. Particular attention is given to how such dialogues can enrich ethical understanding, raising normative questions about responsibility, well-being, care, and social flourishing.
To facilitate this multidisciplinary dialogue among scholars of religion, philosophers, psychologists, and ethicists, we invite contributions that address the following three dimensions:
- Theoretical Foundations and Hermeneutics: Investigations into mind, consciousness, perception, memory, and emotion as described in diverse Buddhist texts (Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, or Tibetan), focusing on how these theories challenge or support mainstream psychological or ethical models.
- Comparative and Interdisciplinary Perspectives: Critical comparisons between Buddhist theories of mind and Western philosophy, neuroscience, or phenomenology, aimed at highlighting the unique ethical stance of Buddhist psychology.
- Ethical Applications and Practical Transformations: Research on how Buddhist concepts—such as mindfulness, equanimity, and compassion—can be applied to modern ethical issues, mental health practices, interpersonal relationships, social ethics, and global well-being.
This Special Issue aims to foster cross-disciplinary scholarship that integrates Buddhist philosophy into global ethical discourse. We welcome original research, insightful reviews, and constructive philosophical papers that demonstrate how Buddhist theories of mind can inform contemporary ethical discourse and practice and bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and the ethical needs of the 21st century.
Authors interested in contributing should submit a proposed title and a 200–300 word abstract to the Guest Editors, Prof. Chien-Te Lin (bhadanta@gmail.com), Prof. Taesoo Kim (latterday10@gmail.com), and the Assistant Editor of Religions, Ms. Margaret Liu (margaret.liu@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed for relevance and scope. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.
A tentative timeline:
Deadline for abstract submission: 31 May 2026
Deadline for full manuscript submission: 31 December 2026
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Chien-Te Lin
Prof. Dr. Taesoo Kim
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- Buddhist psychology
- Buddhist ethics
- moral psychology
- consciousness
- interdisciplinary dialogue
- mindfulness
- well-being
- comparative studies
- Engaged Buddhism
- Humanistic Buddhism
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