Buddhism · Origins & people
Nagarjuna develops Madhyamaka philosophy
c. 150–250 CE
Nagarjuna developed arguments about emptiness, dependent existence, and the limits of philosophical positions. His writings became foundational for Madhyamaka thought. Their later interpretation across India, Tibet, and East Asia demonstrates how Buddhist philosophy developed through sustained disagreement and commentary as well as inherited teaching.
Why it matters
Emptiness became a central subject of Buddhist debate, with consequences for how thinkers explained experience, language, knowledge, and the possibility of liberation.
About the date
Approximate lifespan; biographies contain legendary material and few secure details.