À propos de ce cours : The Dalai Lama has said that Buddhism and science are deeply compatible and has encouraged Western scholars to critically examine both the meditative practice and Buddhist ideas about the human mind. A number of scientists and philosophers have taken up this challenge. There have been brain scans of meditators and philosophical examinations of Buddhist doctrines. There have even been discussions of Darwin and the Buddha: Do early Buddhist descriptions of the mind, and of the human condition, make particular sense in light of evolutionary psychology? This course will examine how Buddhism is faring under this scrutiny. Are neuroscientists starting to understand how meditation “works”? Would such an understanding validate meditation—or might physical explanations of meditation undermine the spiritual significance attributed to it? And how are some of the basic Buddhist claims about the human mind holding up? We’ll pay special attention to some highly counterintuitive doctrines: that the self doesn’t exist, and that much of perceived reality is in some sense illusory. Do these claims, radical as they sound, make a certain kind of sense in light of modern psychology? And what are the implications of all this for how we should live our lives? Can meditation make us not just happier, but better people?
Enseigné par : Robert Wright, Visiting Lecturer
Religion Department and the Center for Human Values
| Engagement | 2-5 hours/week |
| Langue | English, Sous-titres : Spanish |
| Comment réussir | Réussissez tous les devoirs notés pour terminer le cours. |
| Notes des utilisateurs |
- Reading: The Basics
- Reading: Course Overview
- Reading: About the Instructor
- Reading: Contact us
- Vidéo: Introduction: Religious Buddhism and ‘Secular’ Buddhism
- Vidéo: Feelings and Illusions
- Vidéo: The First Two Noble Truths
- Vidéo: Evolutionary Psychology and the First Two Noble Truths
- Vidéo: Office Hours 1
- Reading: Resources for Week 1
- Vidéo: The Eightfold Path
- Vidéo: Meditation
- Vidéo: Mindfulness Meditation and the Brain
- Vidéo: Can Our Feelings Be Trusted?
- Vidéo: Office Hours 2
- Reading: Resources for Week 2
- Vidéo: The Buddha’s Discourse on the Not-Self
- Vidéo: What Did The Buddha Mean?
- Vidéo: Modern Psychology and the Self
- Vidéo: Office Hours 3
- Reading: Resources for Week 3
- Reading: Guidelines for Grading Assignments
- Vidéo: Delusions about Ourselves
- Vidéo: What Mental Modules Aren’t
- Vidéo: What Mental Modules Are
- Vidéo: Office Hours 4
- Reading: Resources for Week 4
- Vidéo: Choosing ‘Selves’ Through Meditation
- Vidéo: ‘Self’ Control
- Vidéo: The Experience of Not-self
- Vidéo: Office Hours 5
- Reading: Resources for Week 5
- Vidéo: Not-Self as Interconnection
- Vidéo: Essentialism and Emptiness
- Vidéo: Buddhist and Darwinian Enlightenment
- Vidéo: A Naturalistic Religion?
- Vidéo: Office Hours 6
- Vidéo: Extra Office Hours 1
- Vidéo: Extra Office Hours 2
- Vidéo: Extra Office Hours 3
- Reading: Resources for Week 6
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was more interested to know how the various schools of thought of psychology come from Buddhism. The course set in evolutionary psychology but would like to know more broadly how other perspectives address the main issues of Buddhism.
Great Course.
The material was quite valuable and I had one good discussion in the Forums. I perceive that the Office Hours segments became less useful at Lecture 6. I would have appreciated a briefer description of the questions and answers on the forums and much less on 'mindful dogs.'
PA
An excellent introduction to Buddhism from a secular point of view, and a great complement to a meditation practice.