Pham Quynh reads Buddhism: an ideological map from the early twentieth century

Connecting the history of Buddhism with modern Vietnamese intellectual history

A study of Buddhism written in the early twentieth century has two layers of value. The first layer is the story about the history of formation, spread and basic ideas of Buddhism. The second layer, equally interesting, is how a Vietnamese intellectual in the transitional period tried to use new methods and languages ​​​​to reread Eastern traditions.\n\nReading the work today requires keeping a historical distance. Some generalizations may no longer be relevant to contemporary research, but those limitations show how Vietnamese academic life has moved. The storytelling style helps make thoughts less dry and at the same time reflects the desire to bring academic knowledge to a wider public.\n\\nTale24 considers this a document that should be read in parallel with modern Buddhist works. Comparative reading both respects revitalizing values ​​and avoids turning a nearly century-old text into the final authority. More importantly, it helps readers realize that the history of ideas is also the history of how we learn to ask questions.