Reasons and Empty Persons: Mind, Metaphysics, and Morality

Best known for his groundbreaking and influential work in Buddhist philosophy, Mark Siderits is the pioneer of fusion or confluence philosophy", a boldly systematic approach to doing philosophy premised on the idea that rational reconstruction of positions in one tradition in light of another can sometimes help address perennial problems and often lead to new and valuable insights. Exemplifying the many virtues of the confluence approach, this collection of essays covers all core areas of Buddhist philosophy, as well as topics and disputes in contemporary Western philosophy relevant to its study. They consider in particular the ways in which questions concerning personal identity figure in debates about agency, cognition, causality, ontological foundations, foundational truths, and moral cultivation. Most of these essays engage Siderits' work directly, building on his pathbreaking ideas and interpretations. Manydeal with issues that have become a common staple in philosophical engagements with traditions outside the West. Their variety and breadth bear testimony to the legacy of Siderits' impact in shaping the contemporary conversation in Buddhist philosophy and its reverberations in mainstream philosophy, giving readers a clear sense of the remarkable scope of his work.

Covers all core areas of Buddhist philosophy in-depth Presents influential views in the contemporary study of Buddhist philosophy Brings together an international team to honor an eminent scholar in the field

Autorentext

Christian Coseru works in the fields of philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, especially Indian and Buddhist philosophy in dialogue with Western (classical and contemporary) philosophy and cognitive science. He is also interested in issues in moral psychology concerning empathy and evolution, and agency and responsibility. Author of Perceiving Reality: Consciousness, Intentionality, and Cognition in Buddhist Philosophy (OUP, 2012), his research has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Australian Research Council. He is currently Lightsey Humanities Chair and Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at the College of Charleston, and Associate Faculty in the Asian Studies and Religious Studies Programs.

Inhalt
Introduction: In Praise of Fusion Philosophy Mark SideritsBiography.- Part I Mind.- 1. But Aren't We Conscious? A Buddhist Reflection on the Hard Problem Georges Dreyfus.- 2. Reasons and Conscious Persons Christian Coseru.- 3. 'Real Descartes' Galen Strawson.- 4. The Imperfect Reality of Persons Jonardon Ganeri.- 5. Eliminating Selves, Reducing Persons Monima Chadha and Shaun Nichols.- 6. The Curious Case of the Conscious Corpse: A Medieval Buddhist Thought Experiment Robert H. Sharf.- 7. How Do Buddhists Account for the Continuity of Mind After Death? Jan Westerhoff.- 8. What's in a Concept? Conceptualizing the Nonconceptual in Buddhist Philosophy and Cognitive Science Evan Thompson.- 9. On Necessary Connection in Mental Causation Ngrjuna's Master Argument against the Sautrntika-Vasubandhu: A Mdhyamika Response to Mark Siderits Sonam Thakchoe.- Part II Metaphysics.- 10. A Post-Reductionist Buddhism? Matthew MacKenzie.- 11. Madhyamaka, Ultimate Reality, and Ineffability JayGarfield and Graham Priest.- 12. The Real According to Madhyamaka or Thoughts on Whether Mark Siderits and I Really Disagree Dan Arnold.- 13. Anti-Realism and Realism About the Past: A Present for Mark Siderits Arindam Chakrabarti.- 14. Buddhist Shipping Containers Koji.- Tanaka.- 15. Finite and Infinite: On Not Making 'Them' Different Enough Rupert Read & Christian Greiffenhagen Part III Epistemology.- 16. Mark Siderits on Anumna Shoryu Katsura.- 17. Buddhist Reductionism, Fictionalism, and Expressibility Laura P. Guerrero.- 18. The Presupposition Strategy and the Two Truths John Spackman.- Part IV Morality.- 19. The Confession: I am a Buddhist Platonist Amber Carpenter.- 20. Self-Cultivation Philosophy as Fusion Philosophy: An Interpretation of Buddhist Moral Thought Christopher W. Gowans.- 21. Can We Know Whether ntideva was a Consequentialist? Charles Goodman.- 22. Selfhood and Resentment Rick Repetti Publications of Mark Siderits