The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life

The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life.
By By Jean-François Revel and Matthieu Ricard. Schocke, 310 pp.

Can Western secularism support a meaningful, fulfilled life? Does Buddhism offer a viable and persuasive alternative for disillusioned secularists? Such questions are the focus of this engaging book, a record of conversations between an agnostic father and his Buddhist son. The father, Jean-François Revel, was raised in a French Catholic home but later abandoned all religious belief. He is a noted political philosopher and commentator on current affairs, and a member of the Academie Française. Steeped in the Western intellectual tradition, he prides himself on continuing the Enlightenment project, looking to science and technology to improve people's lives and hoping that secular political philosophy will better society.