The Practical Relevance of the Anattā-pneuma Concept

Abstract

What is the significance of our understanding of man in terms of Anattā pneuma for a socially relevant ethic? Is the study of man just an academic subject or one of mere religious or philosophical interest? Has it any bearing on the present-day man’s search for community? Has it anything to say in an age of science and technology when many people, particularly the young, are turning away from traditional forms of religion? I am convinced that our study, though it has been largely academic, can contribute much to the search for authentic selfhood and community, in which Marxists, Maoists and followers of other secular ideologies are as much involved as theologians and philosophers, mystics and hippies.