From Emptiness to Nothingness: Translating Buddhist Non-Self and the Western Construction of Nihilism

Abstract

The Buddhist principle of non-self (anattā) is sometimes depicted in Western academic circles as a kind of nihilism; nevertheless, this connection is influenced as much by the history of translation and cultural exchange as by the theory itself. Current academic discourse has predominantly regarded anattā and śūnyatā as definitive philosophical stances, neglecting their translation and intercultural dialogue, thereby raising the issue of how English interpretations of these terms especially the transition from “emptiness” to “nothingness” influenced the Western perception of Buddhism as a philosophy centred on negation. This essay examines how translation decisions and European philosophical frameworks have redefined Buddhist non-self as a concept linked to nihilism. The study examines the evolution from early Jesuit and Victorian interpretations of Buddhism to Nietzschean comparisons and modern philosophical discussions using comparative textual analysis, translation-focused close reading, and reception/discourse analysis. It contends that equating Buddhist emptiness with nothingness is indicative of a historical process of translation and interpretation, rather than an authentic representation of the doctrine, and that reinstating the differentiation between conventional identity and an enduring metaphysical self-elucidates the true assertion of non-self. The study enhances translation studies, cross-cultural discourse analysis, and comparative philosophy by demonstrating that language mediation, rather than doctrine alone, generated the nihilistic interpretation of Buddhism in the West.