Biography
Jayatilleke, was born on 1 November 1920, in Colombo,Contributions
Jayatilleke is best known as the author of the book ''Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge'', Perhaps the Greatest Book written by a Sri Lankan in the 20th Century Jayatilleke, K.N. Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge. George Allen and Unwin, 1963 https://archive.org/details/EarlyBuddhistTheoryOfKnowledge a work that has been described as a "masterpiece",de Silva MWP. Memorial Tribute to the Late Professor K. N. Jayatilleke. Philosophy East & West, Vol 21, Number 2 (April 1971) and as "an outstanding contribution to the history of Indian philosophy". This book traces the beginnings of ideas relating to the theory of knowledge in pre-Buddhist Indian thought and their development in early Buddhism. It consists of a comprehensive inquiry into the nature of knowledge and the questions relating to the means and limits of knowledge. The book attempts to work out a general methodology for answering questions that arise in the context of profound and sophisticated philosophical discussions, and attempts to show that the Buddha was an empiricist and verificationist who denied the meaningfulness of metaphysical utterances. Jayatilleke describes his book as an "attempt to uncover the epistemological foundations of Pali Canonical thought, from a new point of view and in the light of new material." His basic contentions were that early Buddhism has an empiricist outlook, gives a significant place to theWork
Jayatilleke attempted to work out systematically the empiricist outlook in the Buddhist theory of knowledge, and to present Buddhism through the idiom, the language and methodology of the contemporary philosopher, in such a way that it would become directly relevant to the contemporary world and help in the resolution of philosophical controversies and the problems of modern man. He emphasised that it is wrong to consider the Buddha as a mere " rationalist" philosopher, and that the Buddha upheld the value of analytic reason rather than speculative reason. He presented three significant elements in the "new point of view" from which he discussed the thought of the Pali Canon- the empiricist outlook, the analytical approach, and the scientific attitude. In his book, Jayatilleke cites four ways of examining philosophical questions that bring out the analytic approach in Buddhism: * a question which ought to be explained categorically * a question which ought to be answered with a counter question * a question which ought to be set aside * a question which ought to be explained analytically Jayatilleke had a great respect for modern scientific findings, and considered rebirth as a hypothesis capable of being scientifically verified. Apart from his basic writings in the field of epistemology, there are a number of other works. The most significant of these are "Buddhism and the race question" and the Principles of International Law in Buddhist Doctrine. The Message of the Buddha was published posthumously and contains material that he had been working at the time of his death.Publications
* 1957 ‘A Recent Criticism of Buddhism’ in ''The University of Ceylon Review'', vol. xv. nos. 3 and 4, July-October. * 1963 ''Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge.'' Publisher: George Allen and Unwin. * 1967 ''The Principles of International Law in Buddhist Doctrine '' Recueil des cours, Volume 120 (1967-I), pp. 441–567. * 1967 ''Dhamma, Man and Law.'' Leyden. * 1958 ''Buddhism and the Race Question'' with G. P. Malalasekera (English and French editions) Review author Andrew W. Lind Philosophy East and West, Vol. 8, No. 1/2 (Apr. – Jul. 1958). UNESCO publication. * 1975 ''The Message of the Buddha'' Editor: Dr. Ninian Smart. Publisher: George Allen and Unwin 1974. Buddhist Publication Society 1975 (Posthumous work). * Several Wheel Series Publications, Published by the Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka:Buddhist Publication Society P.O. Box 61 54, Sangharaja Mawatha Kandy, Sri Lanka **Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jayatilleke, K.N. 1920 births 1970 deaths Buddhist writers Sri Lankan Buddhists Sri Lankan philosophers Jayatilleke, K. N. Alumni of the University of Cambridge Sinhalese academics 20th-century philosophers Historians of India