Dialectical practice in Tibetan philosophical culture

"During his three years in residence at Tibetan monastic universities, Kenneth Liberman observed and videotaped the monks' debates. He then transcribed, translated, and, analyzed them using multimedia software and ethnomethodological techniques, which enabled him to scrutinize the local methods that Tibetan debaters use to keep their philosophical inquiries alive. His study shows that the monks rely on such indigenous dialectical methods as extending an opponent's position to its absurd consequences, "pulling the rug out" from under an opponent, and other lively strategies. This investigation of the formal philosophical work of Tibetan scholars is an analysis of an important classical tradition." "The book is packaged with a CD-ROM that offers photographs of debates; a guide to the participants; a grammar of Tibetan debating, which includes sample propositions, responses, and strategies; the ethnomethods employed by debaters; videos of illustrative debates, complete with English translations, all analyzed in detail in the book; and an appendix comprising an interactive debate, glossary, manual, and illustrations."--BOOK JACKET.