Priority Cosmopsychism and the Advaita Vedānta
Philosophy East & West July 7, 2017 DOI: 10.1353/pew.2019.0002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 38 |
| Key points | Argues that the Advaitic account of consciousness is not an instance of priority cosmopsychism and suggests an alternative positioning within the monism and panpsychism debate. |
Abstract
Abstract:The combination of panpsychism and priority monism leads to priority cosmopsychism, the view that the consciousness of individual sentient creatures is derivative of an underlying cosmic consciousness. It has been suggested that contemporary priority cosmopsychism parallels central ideas in the Advaita Vedānta tradition. This article offers a critical evaluation of this claim. It argues that the Advaitic account of consciousness cannot be characterized as an instance of priority cosmopsychism, points out the differences between the two views, and suggests an alternative positioning of the Advaitic canon within the contemporary debate on monism and panpsychism.