Tem

October 17, 2012

Alfino's Post

Siderits on Buddhism in General

• details from the history
• Four Noble Truths; existential suffering, suffering from conditions, dependent origination (22f), model of liberation
• Problems with Nirvana (?)

Siderits on Buddhism idea of non-self

• Qualitative and Numerical Identity
• Uniqueness and identity, p. 34
• Argument from Impermanence for non-self p. 35, imp. of exhaustiveness claim. connection with Hume.
• Arguemnt from control for non-self, p. 46. Idea of "controller self" might be advanced as model for self. The controller self would have to operate on itself (since there is nothing about us that we do not sometimes change or control), but violates the Anti-Reflexivity Principle. Therefore there's no controller self.
• Broader solution for Buddhist: Conventional (convenient designator) vs. Ultimate reality (related to the nominalist/realist debate in Western Phil)
• Questions of King Melinda -- reality of the chariott, "the average college student", (also, "the university")
• Problem of reality of person becomes practical: p. 58. Who's reincarnated? Who's responsible for anyone or anything?
• Example of flame, example of milk in different forms.