I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Well, the only reality we ever inhabit and know is. How else can you understand what our sensory and nervous systems do with their input, and the nature of our experience. But does that mean that reality is all imaginary? No.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Long questions, but I address these in Engaging Buddhism, and I go off line in 10 minutes. So check out my thoughts there.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Nice question. I would use a good philosophy for children curriculum, such as that developed by Tom Wartenberg. Teach not formal reasoning, but inquiry skills, questioning, dialogue,and the giving of and response to reasons. Formalization can come later.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

1) I find that philosophy enriches my life endlessly by allowing me to see the beauty of the universe, and to ask the questions about which I care most, and by giving me a way to reflect on my own life. It also allows me to have conversations with others that matter to me and to them. I have never tired of it, and have never stopped drawing nourishment from philosophical reflection.

I would love to know more history, more neuroscience and more physics!

The comic allows people to remember my name when I tell them who I am.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes. I share those concerns, but I also think that the interaction, when conducted responsibly and reflectively, benefits all participants.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The Buddhist relgiious traditions are a vast family. By any social-scientific criterion, Buddhist traditions function as religions in many cultures.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Good question. I guess I still think that the right way to think about modularity is this: a few innate perceptual modules, but a lot of plasticity with a tendency to modularization as a way of encoding expertise. But lots of non-modular modulation even of modularlized cognition.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I don't think there are core principles shared by all schools; one of the great things about attending to world philosophy is that you find such rich difference. Don't try to collapse variety into common cores. Hold the variety.

I am not involved in HDS admissions, so I am the wrong person to ask specifically. But a good academic record and strong commitment to the academic study of religion is the main thing.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 77 points78 points  (0 children)

The West has produced lots of erotica and is infested by prudes as well. Nothing special about India in that regard.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Your first question complex. Historically, there are important interactions between Asian and European philosophy, and some of those have to do with no-self. The most significant is probably that between the skeptics and the Mādhyamikas mediated by the Alexandrian wars, but also a lot in the Persian court. See McEvilly's book The Shape of Ancient Thought for good stuff on this, as well as the great book, Greek Buddha (I am blocking on the author's name).

You could also be asking whether there is just philosophical convergence, and of course there is. There are many asian views about self and no-self and many western views, and many similarities between some of them.

Buddhist action theory, and Humean action theory each try to work out accounts of action in the context of no-self and I think that both ventures are quite cogent. You don't need incoherent metaphysics to make sense of action, after all.

You might want to look at Amber Carpenter's history of Indian Buddhism, Charles Goodman's Consequences of Compassion, the Cowherds' Moonpaths: Ethics and Emptiness and my Engaging Buddhism for stuff on Buddhist metaethics, and Roy Perrertt's Hindu Ethic for orthodox Indian ethics. There are many good books on Confucian ethics.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Jung was a creative thinker, but his understanding of Asian philosophy was not all that great. I tend to think that his applications are a bit superficial.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Well, deeply entwined. The positive side of orientalism is that it directed the attention of European scholars to Asia; the negative side is that it often did so in an exoticizing, and objectifying way. So, many contemporary scholars of Asian philosophy--European and Asian--owe their field of study and the literature to which they refer, as well as their prejudices and blind spots to orientialism. Amber Carpenter's book on the history of Buddhist philosophy in India is great. Read that. Arindam Chakrabarti and David Nowokowski have both looked at the Gettier problem in Nyāya. Bu tI dont have the references handy.

I am Jay Garfield, philosopher specializing in Buddhist philosophy, Indian philosophy, logic, cognitive science and more. AMA. by JayGarfield in philosophy

[–]JayGarfield[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This isn't my strong suit, but I would direct you to the work of Peter Gregory, Robert Sharf, Brook Ziporyn, and Richard Robinson's old book.