Lecture
LUCIP/LTP Lecture "Could There Be a Buddhist Physicalism?"
- Date
- Thursday 21 November 2024
- Time
- Location
-
Herta Mohr
Witte Singel 27A
2311 BG Leiden - Room
- 0.08
The Leiden University Centre for Intercultural Philosophy (LUCIP) and the Leiden University Centre Theoretical Philosophy (LTP) are pleased to welcome Professor Emeritus Mark Siderits from the Department of Philosophy, Illinois State University.
Abstract
Indian Buddhist philosophers unanimously rejected physicalism, the view that everything is physical or material in nature. I explore the question whether their stance can be justified, given their metaphysical scruples and in light of our current understanding of the natural world and our place in it. I first discuss the difficulties Buddhist metaphysical realists face when trying to defend their claim that consciousness is ultimately real, something with intrinsic nature. But the alternative, a Buddhist physicalism, confronts the 'hard problem’ of explaining how consciousness could be a mere illusory appearance. I explore ways a Buddhist physicalist might try to resolve this difficulty, drawing on resources from both the Buddhist tradition and recent work in cognitive science.
All are welcome!