New Books in Buddhist Studies

Christian Coseru on Perceiving Reality


Listen Later

What does it mean to perceive and just how capable are we of perceiving reality? This is a core question in the work of Christian Coseru, who is today’s guest. He is the Lightsey Humanities chair and Professor of Philosophy at the College of Charleston. Christian works in the fields of philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, especially Indian and Buddhist philosophy in dialogue with Western philosophy and cognitive science.

He is the author of Perceiving Reality: Consciousness, Intentionality, and Cognition in Buddhist Philosophy (Oxford UP, 2012, pbk 2015), and editor of Reasons and Empty Persons: Mind, Metaphysics, and Morality. Essays in Honor of Mark Siderits (Springer, 2023).

Christian spent four and a half years in India in the mid 1990s pursuing studies in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy. While in India, he was affiliated with several research institutes, including the Maha Body Society, the Asiatic Society of Calcutta and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies.

We discuss;

  • Perceiving Reality and where current ongoing debates are on this immense topic.
  • How confident we can be that phenomenological experience of reality is real and accurate.
  • Where current theories are on the question of consciousness.
  • The social role of cognition and the topic of mediation.
  • What he makes of panpsychism andits return and relationship with physicalism.
  • How such theories are represented in Buddhism.
  • Working definitions of human flourishing and whether they are at all indebted to Buddhism.
  • The question of Self, no-self without Buddhism.

  • The episode is sponsored by O’Connell Coaching. Music is supplied by Cosmic Link.

    Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha).

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    New Books in Buddhist StudiesBy Marshall Poe

    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3

    4.3

    31 ratings


    More shows like New Books in Buddhist Studies

    View all
    Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast by Joan Halifax | Zen Buddhist Teacher Upaya Abbot

    Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

    269 Listeners

    Robert Wright's Nonzero by Nonzero

    Robert Wright's Nonzero

    582 Listeners

    Tricycle Talks by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

    Tricycle Talks

    351 Listeners

    Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

    Making Sense with Sam Harris

    26,327 Listeners

    Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein by Be Here Now Network

    Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

    915 Listeners

    The Wisdom Podcast by The Wisdom Podcast

    The Wisdom Podcast

    326 Listeners

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

    The Gray Area with Sean Illing

    10,653 Listeners

    The Zen Studies Podcast by Domyo Burk

    The Zen Studies Podcast

    367 Listeners

    Deconstructing Yourself by Michael W. Taft

    Deconstructing Yourself

    391 Listeners

    Weird Studies by SpectreVision Radio

    Weird Studies

    588 Listeners

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

    4,127 Listeners

    Hermitix by Hermitix

    Hermitix

    342 Listeners

    Theory & Philosophy by David Guignion

    Theory & Philosophy

    339 Listeners

    Mind & Life by Mind & Life Institute

    Mind & Life

    270 Listeners

    Decoding the Gurus by Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne

    Decoding the Gurus

    937 Listeners