Buddhists are famous for their thesis that selves do not exist. But if they are right, what would that thesis mean for our apparent sense of self and for ordinary practices involving selves—or at least persons? In Selfless Minds: A Contemporary Perspective on Vasubandhu’s Metaphysics (Oxford University Press, 2022), Monima Chadha answers these questions by c ... Show More
Nov 10
Amie Thomasson, "Rethinking Metaphysics" (Oxford UP, 2025)
The word “metaphysics” conjures up thoughts of very hard questions about reality and deep, perhaps unresolvable, metaphysical mysteries. But is that the right way to think about the subject matter of metaphysics? According to Amie Thomasson, very clearly no. In her new book, Reth ... Show More
1h 3m
Oct 20
Ladelle McWhorter, "Unbecoming Persons: The Rise and Demise of the Modern Moral Self" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
How should one live? What should one do? And what do these questions have to do with being a good person? In Unbecoming Persons: The Rise and Demine of the Modern Moral Self (University of Chicago Press, 2025), Ladelle McWhorter reorients these questions through a genealogy of th ... Show More
1h 10m
Oct 10
S. Orestis Palermos, "Cyborg Rights: Extending Cognition, Ethics, and the Law" (Routledge, 2025)
Until recently, no one could access the detailed contents of your mind directly the way only you can. This level of protection of our mental data was guaranteed by the way we are built biologically – and it can no longer be taken for granted. In Cyborg Rights: Extending Cognition ... Show More
1 h
Jul 2023
Zhihua Yao, "Nonexistent Objects in Buddhist Philosophy: On Knowing What There is Not" (Bloomsbury, 2020)
Can we know what there is not?
Zhihua Yao's Nonexistent Objects in Buddhist Philosophy: On Knowing What There is Not (Bloomsbury, 2020) examines the historical development of the concept of the cognition of nonexistent objects in several major Buddhist philosophical schools. Beg ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2024
The Wisdom of Zero with Jacob Kyle
In today's episode, Embodied Philosophy Founder Jacob Kyle is interviewed by Kelly Blaser for the 2024 Power of Meditation Summit. They discussed the role of the scholar-practitioner, the philosophical significance of "zero," the important synergy of knowledge and experience, "re ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2024
Abū Ḥayyān al-Tawḥīdī and Abū ʿAlī Miskawayh, "The Philosopher Responds: An Intellectual Correspondence from the Tenth Century" (NYU Press, 2019/22)
Today I talked to James Montgomery, one of the translators of The Philosopher Responds: An Intellectual Correspondence from the Tenth Century, two volumes (NYU Press, 2019 and 2022). About the book:
Why is laughter contagious? Why do mountains exist? Why do we long for the past, ... Show More
1h 28m
Nov 2019
Tao of Philosophy - Alan Watts Lecture #3
Alan Watts continues the discussion on the philosophy of the Tao. His calming voice, ability to simplify complex subjects, and his insightful, yet concise style of lecturing about Chinese and Eastern Philosophy is beyond powerful. He fosters and creates an easy, yet extremely eye ... Show More
45m 20s
Jul 2023
Dimitry Shevchenko, "Mirror of Nature, Mirror of Self: Mirror of Self: Models of Consciousness in Sāṃkhya, Yoga, and Advaita Vedānta" (Oxford UP, 2023)
In Indian philosophical traditions, a reflection in a mirror frequently serves as a metaphor, suggesting that just as a face in a mirror appears where it is not, so does consciousness. Mirror of Nature, Mirror of Self: Mirror of Self: Models of Consciousness in Sāṃkhya, Yoga, and ... Show More
35m 31s
Oct 2019
Tao of Philosophy - Alan Watts Lecture #2
Alan Watts continues the discussion on the philosophy of the Tao. His calming voice, ability to simplify complex subjects, and his insightful, yet concise style of lecturing about Chinese and Eastern Philosophy is beyond powerful. He fosters and creates an easy, yet extremely eye ... Show More
26m 42s
Jan 2021
Overcoming Individualism | Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesIn Western society, individualism is everywhere – whether it’s being fuelled by capitalism, technology or populist politics, we are being encouraged to think of ourselves more than ever before. But ... Show More
29m 38s
Oct 2019
Tao of philosophy - Alan Watts Lecture #1
Alan Watts begins the discussion on the philosophy of the Tao. His calming voice, ability to simplify complex subjects, and his insightful, yet concise style of lecturing about Chinese and Eastern Philosophy is beyond powerful. He fosters and creates an easy, yet extremely eye op ... Show More
26m 8s
Sep 2011
David McMahan, “The Making of Buddhist Modernism” (Oxford UP, 2008)
For many Asian and Western Buddhists today, Buddhism means meditation and an embrace of the world’s interdependence. But that’s not what it meant to Buddhists in the past; most of them never meditated and often saw interdependence (or dependent origination) as something fearful t ... Show More
58 m