Philosophy and Meditation
C. S. Herrman, Michael Webb
Eidos: A Journal for Philosophy of Culture October 30, 2021 DOI: 10.14394/eidos.jpc.2021.0022 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that Asian contemplative methods, typically used in the West to relieve suffering, can instead be applied to scientific, philosophical, and creative inquiry aimed at discovering truth or reality for its own sake. The author contends that aligning with truth and putting inquiry first may also reduce suffering and help meet material needs. |
Abstract
I have a folder called "Inquiry" where I have put all the material I have gathered on this project.Basically, this is an inquiry on inquiry.The Greeks, of course, figure in it -including the pre-Socratics, such as Heraclitus -and in modern times -Heidegger: for example with his articulation of the disclosure of Being, his idea of the Lichtung, or clearing, into which Being reveals itself, and especially the post-War Heidegger with his discussion of technology as a mentality, or framing.Most Western interest in Asian methods has been psychological.The "mindfulness" movement has been focused on helping to manage anxiety, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and so forth.I am interested in inquiry, however, not in relieving suffering.My first "innovation" (if I can say that) has been to try to apply the Asian methods (of contemplation) outside of a motivation to relieve suffering.I am not trying to make people happier.Instead, I am wanting to apply these methods to scientific, philosophical, and artistic or creative inquiry -into discovering (or uncovering) truth or reality -that is to say "truth for its own sake."Yes, if you align yourself with truth, you will probably suffer less.We will probably be better at meeting our material needs if we put inquiry first.But that
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |