Лапатин Вадим Альбертович

Phenomenological reduction of E. Husserl through the prism of Buddhist meditation

Философская мысль March 1, 2021 Лапатин Вадим Альбертович

Phenomenological reduction, as conceived by E. Husserl, cannot be fully realized through theoretical means because its requirements of directness and non-prerequisiteness are impossible to satisfy in verbal expression. However, it can be implemented as a practice, with Buddhist meditation serving as an example. Comparing phenomenology and Buddhism reveals that, despite similar starting points and subject matter, they reach markedly different conclusions about consciousness. The fundamental difference concerns the problem of the self: Buddhism does not recognize the apodictic evidence of the empirical or transcendental ego, basing this view on observation of the mind's variable nature in meditation. Further differences involve interpretations of intentionality and ideation.