Episode 53: Buddhism and Naturalism with Guest Owen Flanagan

Summary: Discussing The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized (2011) with <a href="http://www.duke.edu/~ojf/" target="_blank">Owen Flanagan</a>.<br> What philosophical insights can we modern folks with our science and naturalism (i.e. inclination against super-natural explanations) glean from Buddhisim? Flanagan says plenty: Buddhism is founded on common human experience (not faith), and we can profitably put Buddhist ethics in dialogue with familiar types of virtue ethics. However, we need to be skeptical of any claims to scientific support the superior happiness of Buddhists.<br> We kick off with a general assessment of phenomenology and naturalist ethics, and Flanagan provides such a plethora of great insights that the regular PEL crew continued the discussion (without Owen) in <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2012/04/06/ep54/" target="_blank">Ep. 54</a>. <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/2011/12/26/now-taking-questions-for-owen-flanagan-on-buddhism-and-science/" target="_blank">Get more info on the topic and obtain the book</a>. <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/wp-content/uploads/Alwan-Summary-of-Flanagan-The-Bodhisattvas-Brain1.pdf" target="_blank">Download Wes's summary of the book</a>.<br> End song: "A Few Gone Down" from Mark Lint &amp; the Fake Johnson Trio (1998). <a href="http://marklint.com/FJTalbum.html" target="_blank">Download the album for free</a>.<br> If you enjoyed this episode, please consider a <a href="http://partiallyexaminedlife.com/donate" target="_blank">donation</a>.<br>