Contemporary Philosophy of Mind and Buddhist Thought
Philosophy Compass October 1, 2012 John Spackman 5 citations
Three models for what contemporary philosophy of mind can learn from Buddhist thought are assessed. Alan Wallace's model claims that meditation reveals a primordial consciousness from which both individual consciousness and the physical world emerge. Owen Flanagan's model accepts only Buddhist insights compatible with physicalism, focusing on moral psychology and spirituality. Evan Thompson's phenomenological approach offers a non-dualistic account dissolving the explanatory gap between mind and body. Each model faces significant challenges. A different model derived from the Buddhist philosopher Nāgārjuna is proposed, showing potential to resolve challenges facing contemporary theories of consciousness.