Offered on availability of instructor. Metaphysics A study of how to talk about what there is. This course is concerned with the philosophical claims that have been made about existence, being, and reality, and the problem of evaluating such claims, especially in the context of the claims made by science about the same issues. Some traditional philosophical and scientific texts are discussed, but recent sources will also be important. Offered on sufficient demand.
Detailed examination is given to the concepts of liberty, justice, responsibility, and punishment.
Spring term annually. We address such questions through cognitive science and philosophy of mind. Using a comparative approach, this course examines assumptions about the nature of mind, knowledge, self, and reality that underlie contemporary cognitive science from the perspective of traditional Buddhist mind science. Students read original texts from the great philosophers from Plato to Sartre and seek to discover what themes are of lasting value and why. Emphasis is placed upon the application of philosophical thought to real life.