Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka philosophy stands apart within Buddhist thought for its profound exploration of emptiness (śūnyatā) and its radical critique of inherent existence. Where other Buddhist schools—such as the Abhidharma traditions—regard the constituents of reality, or dharmas, as ultimately real, Nagarjuna asserts that all phenomena, without exception, lack any independent, self-sustaining essence (svabhāva). This insight is not limited to external objects but extends to the aggregates, sense bases, and even Nirvana itself, dissolving any lingering notions of ultimate substance or foundational reality.

Central to Madhyamaka is the doctrine of the two truths: conventional truth (saṃvṛti-satya) and ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya). Conventional truth encompasses the everyday world of appearances, language, and even Buddhist teachings, which function pragmatically yet remain devoid of inherent reality. Ultimate truth, on the other hand, is the realization that all such conventions are empty of intrinsic nature. While other traditions may treat their analytical categories as ultimately real, Nagarjuna insists that even the most refined Buddhist concepts are, in the final analysis, empty and provisional.

Nagarjuna’s method is distinguished by its rigorous application of logical analysis, particularly the use of reductio ad absurdum (prasaṅga) arguments. Rather than constructing a positive metaphysical system, Madhyamaka systematically exposes the contradictions and limitations of all philosophical positions, including those within Buddhism itself. This approach serves not merely as intellectual exercise but as a means to free the mind from all forms of conceptual entanglement, fostering a direct apprehension of reality unmediated by fixed views.

The soteriological implications of this vision are profound. Liberation, from the Madhyamaka perspective, is not achieved by clinging to any doctrine or conceptual framework, but by relinquishing all such constructs—including the very notion of emptiness itself. Even as Madhyamaka deconstructs the foundations of philosophical and spiritual certainty, it affirms the practical validity of conventional practices and ethical conduct, recognizing their necessity on the path while denying them ultimate status.

In this way, Nagarjuna’s philosophy embodies a subtle balance: it dismantles all claims to inherent existence without descending into nihilism, and it upholds the efficacy of the Buddhist path while refusing to reify any aspect of it. The Middle Way, as articulated by Nagarjuna, thus invites a dynamic and liberating engagement with reality, grounded in the insight that all things arise interdependently and are, in their deepest nature, free from the fetters of fixed identity.