Buddhist Modernism, Scientific Explanation, and the Self
Sean M. Smith
Comparative Philosophy An International Journal of Constructive Engagement of Distinct Approaches toward World Philosophy January 29, 2021 DOI: 10.31979/2151-6014(2021).120113 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that Struhl's hermeneutical choices are shaped by Buddhist modernism and would benefit from broader Buddhist sources; contends that Buddhist and scientific approaches to self-negation differ more than Struhl allows; and proposes an alternative Buddhist account of suffering and its resolution through vipassanā meditation. |
Abstract
Allow me to begin by expressing my gratitude to Karsten Struhl and the editors of Comparative Philosophy for the opportunity to engage with these ideas.This work is very close to my heart and I am always keen for the opportunity to work through the details in partnership with like-minded scholars.Struhl's (2020) paper gave me a lot to think about, and so for my reply I will divide my remarks into three sets of questions.To begin, I explore Struhl's approach to Buddhist philosophy and the role that Buddhist modernism is playing as a frame for his hermeneutical choices.I suggest here that spreading his attention to other sources of Buddhist philosophy beyond the Pāli suttas would help strengthen his argument and the connective tissue between Buddhist and contemporary approaches to the negation of self.In the second section, I look at the relevant differences between Buddhist and modern scientific approaches to the negation of self and suggest that these approaches have less in common than Struhl suggests.Finally, I turn to the Buddhist soteriological project that motivates their approach to self-negation and to Struhl's reflections on the problem of suffering and its solution through vipassanā meditation.Here I present an alternative way of understanding the problem and its solution in a Buddhist philosophical register.