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Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times
A renowned Buddhist teacher turns to two of the most influential figures in history for guidance on how to face the ethical challenges of our time
The Buddha’s revolutionary teachings transformed Asia, and his contemporary Socrates laid the foundations of Western philosophy. Although they never met, Socrates and the Buddha each addressed in a radically new and surprisingly similar way the core questions of how to lead a good, just, and dignified life amid turbulence and violence. Common to their teachings was an ethics of both refused to make truth claims about the ultimate nature of reality, insisting on the primacy of critical self‑evaluation as the basis of an ethical life.
In this illuminating book, best-selling author Stephen Batchelor explores the philosophical, social, and political worlds of the Buddha and Socrates, showing how their teachings continue to provide lessons in how to lead a flourishing and engaged life. Keenly aware of the fickle and conflicted nature of the human mind, Gotama and Socrates inspired their followers to act with humility and courage, risk and resolve, doubt and confidence. Drawing on their insights, and those of their followers, Batchelor uncovers a middle way between Buddhist dharma and Greek philosophy that can serve as a starting point for a “secular faith” that addresses the most pressing spiritual and planetary issues of our age.
The Buddha’s revolutionary teachings transformed Asia, and his contemporary Socrates laid the foundations of Western philosophy. Although they never met, Socrates and the Buddha each addressed in a radically new and surprisingly similar way the core questions of how to lead a good, just, and dignified life amid turbulence and violence. Common to their teachings was an ethics of both refused to make truth claims about the ultimate nature of reality, insisting on the primacy of critical self‑evaluation as the basis of an ethical life.
In this illuminating book, best-selling author Stephen Batchelor explores the philosophical, social, and political worlds of the Buddha and Socrates, showing how their teachings continue to provide lessons in how to lead a flourishing and engaged life. Keenly aware of the fickle and conflicted nature of the human mind, Gotama and Socrates inspired their followers to act with humility and courage, risk and resolve, doubt and confidence. Drawing on their insights, and those of their followers, Batchelor uncovers a middle way between Buddhist dharma and Greek philosophy that can serve as a starting point for a “secular faith” that addresses the most pressing spiritual and planetary issues of our age.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published August 26, 2025
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129 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 10, 2025
Buddha, Socrates, and Us by Stephen Batchelor – ★★★★★
This was an enlightening, beautiful, and challenging book—one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Stephen Batchelor shares not only deep insights into Buddhist and Hellenistic philosophy but also the routes of an incredible life story spent studying and living these traditions.
What struck me most was the way he brings together the teachings of the Buddha and Socrates, two of history’s greatest seekers of truth, and shows how their ideas can still guide us today. Batchelor doesn’t just present philosophy as an abstract concept—he weaves it into the lived human experience, including his own. That personal touch gave the book both warmth and authenticity.
I found myself challenged in the best possible way. The book pushed me to think deeply about how we live, how we ask questions, and how we find meaning. It’s rare to find a work that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually moving, but this one accomplished both.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves philosophy, spiritual exploration, or simply a beautifully written and thought-provoking book.
This was an enlightening, beautiful, and challenging book—one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Stephen Batchelor shares not only deep insights into Buddhist and Hellenistic philosophy but also the routes of an incredible life story spent studying and living these traditions.
What struck me most was the way he brings together the teachings of the Buddha and Socrates, two of history’s greatest seekers of truth, and shows how their ideas can still guide us today. Batchelor doesn’t just present philosophy as an abstract concept—he weaves it into the lived human experience, including his own. That personal touch gave the book both warmth and authenticity.
I found myself challenged in the best possible way. The book pushed me to think deeply about how we live, how we ask questions, and how we find meaning. It’s rare to find a work that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually moving, but this one accomplished both.
Highly recommended for anyone who loves philosophy, spiritual exploration, or simply a beautifully written and thought-provoking book.
September 9, 2025
I’m only half way through the book, but seeing as there is no reviews yet, I thought I’d write a provisional one.
So far this book is amazing. Having studied a decent amount of Ancient Greek philosophy at university, writing my dissertation on Sceptic philosophy and ataraxia, as well as being a Theravada Buddhist, this book perfectly matches my interests. The scholarly work Batchelor has done for this book is impressive, particularly with no formal education in western philosophy to my knowledge. It’s a very accessible intro to a lot of history of Greek philosophy from the view point of a Pali Buddhist scholar, which is fascinating and very novel. Of course, there is a lot of speculation and not fully supported claims throughout the book, but perfect scholarly accuracy is clearly not the intention of the book and would likely make it inaccessible and dry anyway.
The book is written with a lot of reference to interesting historical and mythical story telling as well as poignant relevant biographical stories from Batchelor’s own life. It’s got a great mix of these things to make the book entertaining, informative and artistic. Imo worth the time spent reading.
So far this book is amazing. Having studied a decent amount of Ancient Greek philosophy at university, writing my dissertation on Sceptic philosophy and ataraxia, as well as being a Theravada Buddhist, this book perfectly matches my interests. The scholarly work Batchelor has done for this book is impressive, particularly with no formal education in western philosophy to my knowledge. It’s a very accessible intro to a lot of history of Greek philosophy from the view point of a Pali Buddhist scholar, which is fascinating and very novel. Of course, there is a lot of speculation and not fully supported claims throughout the book, but perfect scholarly accuracy is clearly not the intention of the book and would likely make it inaccessible and dry anyway.
The book is written with a lot of reference to interesting historical and mythical story telling as well as poignant relevant biographical stories from Batchelor’s own life. It’s got a great mix of these things to make the book entertaining, informative and artistic. Imo worth the time spent reading.
November 24, 2025
Steven Batchelor has been formed by a variety of experiences, including training as a Buddhist monk in both Tibetan and Zen traditions, as well as education in western philosophy. He argues that the sutras of the Pali canon, the earliest sources of Buddhism, reveal a teacher, Gotama, who engaged in dialogue and who avoided fixed doctrines. For example, with respect to the self, it both “is” and “is not.” He urged meditation as a space for arriving at ethical action, rather than for drawing metaphysical conclusions. Batchelor argues that later Buddhist thought went on to elaborate definite conclusions and doctrines.
Batchelor likens Gotama to Socrates, who said that “I only know that I know nothing” and who pointedly interrogated Athenians with respect to what they thought they knew. Batchelor points out the distinction between the historical Socrates and the character of Socrates in the dialogues of Plato. Plato was Socrates’ student and did indeed come to specific conclusions, while Socrates was a gadfly who encouraged others to think dialogically about ethical action.
The discussion by Batchelor is very far-ranging. He discusses a variety of Buddhist sources, both competing schools of thought as well as subsequent bodhisattvas (enlightened ones) and interpreters. He also discusses extensively the heritage of Socrates, his students, his contemporaries, and the schools which followed him in some form, such as the Cynics, the Epicureans, and the Stoics. Finally he brings in later historical figures such as Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Heidegger and Hannah Arendt. The only conspicuous omission is Judeo-Christian tradition. Batchelor says that he had grown up in a “post-Christian, humanist” environment.
Basically what Batchelor argues is that what the world needs today is a non-ideological meditational space in which to consider ethical action in a dialogical fashion. The Buddha and Socrates have in common the encouragement of such interior dialogue. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” as Socrates says. While I am sympathetic to this view, I somehow balk at the idea of never coming to definite conclusions. I admire Plato for using the character of Socrates in a dialogic fashion to come to sensible and intelligible conclusions about the nature of the world. Plato assembled a system of thought rather than remaining in eternal questioning. Perhaps we are fated as human beings to be forever in uncertainty, but I feel that we must assume that we can make some sense of it and reach a conclusion.
Batchelor likens Gotama to Socrates, who said that “I only know that I know nothing” and who pointedly interrogated Athenians with respect to what they thought they knew. Batchelor points out the distinction between the historical Socrates and the character of Socrates in the dialogues of Plato. Plato was Socrates’ student and did indeed come to specific conclusions, while Socrates was a gadfly who encouraged others to think dialogically about ethical action.
The discussion by Batchelor is very far-ranging. He discusses a variety of Buddhist sources, both competing schools of thought as well as subsequent bodhisattvas (enlightened ones) and interpreters. He also discusses extensively the heritage of Socrates, his students, his contemporaries, and the schools which followed him in some form, such as the Cynics, the Epicureans, and the Stoics. Finally he brings in later historical figures such as Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Heidegger and Hannah Arendt. The only conspicuous omission is Judeo-Christian tradition. Batchelor says that he had grown up in a “post-Christian, humanist” environment.
Basically what Batchelor argues is that what the world needs today is a non-ideological meditational space in which to consider ethical action in a dialogical fashion. The Buddha and Socrates have in common the encouragement of such interior dialogue. “The unexamined life is not worth living,” as Socrates says. While I am sympathetic to this view, I somehow balk at the idea of never coming to definite conclusions. I admire Plato for using the character of Socrates in a dialogic fashion to come to sensible and intelligible conclusions about the nature of the world. Plato assembled a system of thought rather than remaining in eternal questioning. Perhaps we are fated as human beings to be forever in uncertainty, but I feel that we must assume that we can make some sense of it and reach a conclusion.
December 3, 2025
"The unexamined life is not worth living.” That could well be the Socratic summary of this excellent book. There is something naturally appealing in the way Stephen Batchelor writes. His stories are at once accessible and quietly profound. He lingers on small, almost incidental details and draws from them unexpectedly meditative insights. The book reads as a collection of reflections shaped by the non-binary sensibilities of both Gotama and Socrates. The chapters don’t connect in a linear way, but together they form the backdrop for his ethics of uncertainty. They function more as discrete essays, and the degree of enjoyment will vary with each reader’s taste. Some chapters resonated with me far more than others—A Dialogical Self and Only Tragedy Can Save the City, especially.
The final part of the book wraps things up nicely, drawing on the more reflective chapters and on Batchelor’s radically secularized reading of the Eightfold Path. A Cartography of Care, Contemplative Life, Active Life, Lucid Confidence, and An Ethics of Uncertainty carry the core message—a gentle, persuasive articulation of how to live collectedly in a world that offers no certainties.
The final part of the book wraps things up nicely, drawing on the more reflective chapters and on Batchelor’s radically secularized reading of the Eightfold Path. A Cartography of Care, Contemplative Life, Active Life, Lucid Confidence, and An Ethics of Uncertainty carry the core message—a gentle, persuasive articulation of how to live collectedly in a world that offers no certainties.
September 30, 2025
The parallels between Buddha and Socrates were interesting, but the link to how to live an ethical life in our modern world wasn’t always evident beyond the familiar guidance of living in accordance with our values.
From the AI:
Overview
In Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times, Stephen Batchelor explores two traditions of inquiry—Buddhist and Socratic—and argues that they converge on a practical approach to ethics. Neither Buddha nor Socrates offered fixed doctrines; instead, both invited their followers to question assumptions, examine their lives, and discover how to live wisely.
⸻
Key Parallels
• Inquiry over dogma: Socrates challenged Athenians through dialogue, while Buddha taught followers to test his words against their own experience.
• Facing mortality: Socrates’ acceptance of death in the Apology and Buddha’s teaching on impermanence both highlight how confronting mortality shapes how we live.
• Ethics as practice: Both traditions view ethics not as divine law but as habits of reflection, self-discipline, and alignment with values.
⸻
Application to Today
Batchelor positions these ancient voices as guides for modern life. His central claim is that by embracing questioning and cultivating awareness, we can navigate today’s uncertainties without clinging to absolutes.
That said, the practical bridge often felt thin. Beyond the broad encouragement to live authentically and according to our values, the book didn’t always connect these philosophies concretely to the specific dilemmas of modern life—social, political, or environmental.
⸻
Takeaways
• Ethics begins with inquiry and self-examination rather than obedience.
• Living in line with our values is necessary, but also requires ongoing questioning of what those values should be.
• Both Buddha and Socrates model humility in the face of uncertainty, which remains relevant in our own age of confusion and change.
⸻
Final Reflection:
Batchelor succeeds in drawing fascinating parallels across East and West, showing how two traditions share a commitment to inquiry and ethical practice. But the modern application felt more suggestive than developed, leaving me wishing for a stronger link to today’s challenges. For me, that made this a solid but not standout read—3 stars.
From the AI:
Overview
In Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times, Stephen Batchelor explores two traditions of inquiry—Buddhist and Socratic—and argues that they converge on a practical approach to ethics. Neither Buddha nor Socrates offered fixed doctrines; instead, both invited their followers to question assumptions, examine their lives, and discover how to live wisely.
⸻
Key Parallels
• Inquiry over dogma: Socrates challenged Athenians through dialogue, while Buddha taught followers to test his words against their own experience.
• Facing mortality: Socrates’ acceptance of death in the Apology and Buddha’s teaching on impermanence both highlight how confronting mortality shapes how we live.
• Ethics as practice: Both traditions view ethics not as divine law but as habits of reflection, self-discipline, and alignment with values.
⸻
Application to Today
Batchelor positions these ancient voices as guides for modern life. His central claim is that by embracing questioning and cultivating awareness, we can navigate today’s uncertainties without clinging to absolutes.
That said, the practical bridge often felt thin. Beyond the broad encouragement to live authentically and according to our values, the book didn’t always connect these philosophies concretely to the specific dilemmas of modern life—social, political, or environmental.
⸻
Takeaways
• Ethics begins with inquiry and self-examination rather than obedience.
• Living in line with our values is necessary, but also requires ongoing questioning of what those values should be.
• Both Buddha and Socrates model humility in the face of uncertainty, which remains relevant in our own age of confusion and change.
⸻
Final Reflection:
Batchelor succeeds in drawing fascinating parallels across East and West, showing how two traditions share a commitment to inquiry and ethical practice. But the modern application felt more suggestive than developed, leaving me wishing for a stronger link to today’s challenges. For me, that made this a solid but not standout read—3 stars.
December 17, 2025
Stephen Batchelor continues to amaze. I've been reading him for years and have learned a lot from him, but now, in this recent work, it feels like Batchelor is summing up his own life and his writing with a flourish. For years, at 74 in 2025, I've been reading Plato's dialogues with Socrates and the scholarship on Socrates. But the scholarship tends to kill the spirit of Socrates and replace it with an uninspiring, falsely rational, abstraction of an incredible man. But Batchelor captures the spirit of the thinking of Socrates so well and combines it so skillfully with a comparison to the Buddha, that it takes your breath away.
November 8, 2025
An amazing compilation of details about Buddha and Socrates that includes reviews of Greek plays and how they affected the lives and politics of the ancient populations. The author's vast personal experience with many types of Buddhism enables him to write credible comparisons. What I liked the most was the author's ability to describe the day-to-day lives of both Greeks and Buddhists as well as include related historical events that affected those lives.
October 23, 2025
Batchelor offers an argument that emphasizes the moral dimension embodied in the teachings and lives of these two great figures from the Axial Age. The book is written in his usual engaging and easy to follow style, and should be of value to those readers interested in discovering insights into moral reasoning and how to live a worthy life.
November 12, 2025
A Manual for Living With Uncertainty
An honest, passionate account of life lived in the embrace of uncertainty. The age of belief is passing. What we do—ethically or unethically—speaks so loud that no one either wants to or can hear what we say.
An honest, passionate account of life lived in the embrace of uncertainty. The age of belief is passing. What we do—ethically or unethically—speaks so loud that no one either wants to or can hear what we say.
November 14, 2025
I feel like this book should be required reading in today's day and age. The comparison and contrasts between Socrates and Buddha are quite eye opening. Their teachings aver very applicable and needed more than ever. Highly recommended.
October 29, 2025
one of the most intellectually brilliant books I've listened to. thought provoking and full of wisdom.
December 23, 2025
Didn't get through it
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews