ISBN : 9780199593804
The nature and reality of self is a subject of increasing prominence among Western philosophers of mind and cognitive scientists. It has also been central to Indian and Tibetan philosophical traditions for over two thousand years. It is time to bring the rich resources of these traditions into the contemporary debate about the nature of self. This volume is the first of its kind. Leading philosophical scholars of the Indian and Tibetan traditions join with leading Western philosophers of mind and phenomenologists to explore issues about consciousness and selfhood from these multiple perspectives. Self, No Self? is not a collection of historical or comparative essays. It takes problem-solving and conceptual and phenomenological analysis as central to philosophy. The essays mobilize the argumentative resources of diverse philosophical traditions to address issues about the self in the context of contemporary philosophy and cognitive science. Self, No Self? will be essential reading for philosophers and cognitive scientists interested in the nature of the self and consciousness, and will offer a valuable way into the subject for students.
1. Introduction
2. The Who and How of Experience
3. The Experiential Self: objections and clarifications
4. Nirvana and Ownerless consciousness
5. Self and Subjectivity: A Middle Way Approach
6. Self-No-Self? Memory and Reflexive Awareness
7. Subjectivity, Selfhood and the Use of the Word 'I'
8. 'I am of the nature of Seeing': Phenomenological Reflections on the Indian Notion of Witness-Consciousness
9. Situating the Elusive Self of Advaita Vedanta
10. Enacting the Self: Buddhist and Enactivist Approaches to the Emergence of the Self
11. Radical self-awareness
12. Buddhas as Zombies: A Buddhist Reduction of Subjectivity
Notes on Contributors
Index