Attention, Not Self
The Philosophical Review July 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1215/00318108-7537335 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Epistemology Consciousness Reading process Theme computing Contemporary philosophy Analytic philosophy |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Describes Ganeri's Attention, Not Self as groundbreaking for transforming Pāli commentarial concepts of mind, consciousness, and conscious states into an empirically informed philosophy of mind, focused on commentaries attributed to the fifth-century Theravāda monk Buddhaghosa. Warns that the title should not be mistaken for another contribution to Buddhist no-self theory or to attention in philosophy of mind. |
Abstract
Jonardon Ganeri's Attention, Not Self is groundbreaking. It shows a way to transform the rich theoretical vocabulary in Pāli commentarial tradition for concepts of mind, consciousness, and conscious states into an empirically informed philosophy of mind. The book is focused on commentaries attributed to a single philosopher, the fifth-century Theravāda monk Buddhaghosa. The title of the book should not mislead one into thinking that it is yet another contribution to the literature on the Buddhist no-self theories or to the literature on attention in philosophy of mind and consciousness.