Engaging non-essentialism as lived wisdom: a dialogue between intercultural communication and Buddhism

Zhou, Vivien

Abstract

This paper examines some philosophical groundwork underlying intercultural studies through an inter-epistemic dialogue with Buddhism. This dialogue joins resonating developments in the two fields through their common goal of overcoming essentialism and comparable methods for praxis. It also illuminates on areas for potential advancement in intercultural theory and praxis through considering how Buddhism approaches these at nuanced levels. Particularly, the paper emphasises the needs to differentiate non-essentialism from anti-essentialism, incorporate a ‘responsibility for the self’ into intercultural ethics, and develop corresponding methods for co-existing with the vulnerability of the human mind that prompts one to act essentialistically in concrete situations.

Citation

Zhou, V. (2022). Engaging non-essentialism as lived wisdom: a dialogue between intercultural communication and Buddhism. Language and Intercultural Communication, 22(3), 294-311. https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2022.2046768

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 22, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 14, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 15, 2022
• Journal: Language and Intercultural Communication
• Print ISSN: 1470-8477
• Electronic ISSN: 1747-759X
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 294-311
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2022.2046768
• Keywords: Intercultural communication; non-essentialism; Buddhism; dialogue; inter-epistemic
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2850488