Humans have long wondered whether they can survive the death of their physical bodies. Some people now look to technology as a means by which this might occur, using terms such 'whole brain emulation', 'mind uploading', and 'substrate independent minds' to describe a set of hypothetical procedures for transferring or emulating the functioning of a human mind on a synthetic substrate. There has been much debate about the philosophical implications of such procedures for personal survival. Most participants to that debate (...) assume that the continuation of identity is an objective fact that can be revealed by scientific enquiry or rational debate. We bring into this debate a perspective that has so far been neglected: that personal identities are in large part social constructs. Consequently, to enable a particular identity to survive the transference process, it is not sufficient to settle age-old philosophical questions about the nature of identity. It is also necessary to maintain certain networks of interaction between the synthetic person and its social environment, and sustain a collective belief in the persistence of identity. We defend this position by using the example of the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhist tradition and identify technological procedures that could increase the credibility of personal continuity between biological and artificial substrates. (shrink)

Basal cognition investigates cognition working upward from nonneuronal organisms. Because basal cognition is committed to empirically testable hypotheses, a methodological challenge arises: how can experiments avoid using zoocentric assumptions that ignore the ecological contexts that might elicit cognitively driven behavior in nonneuronal organisms? To meet this challenge, I articulate the principle of dynamic holism (PDH), a methodological principle for guiding research on nonneuronal cognition. I describe PDH’s relation to holistic research programs in human-focused cognitive science and psychology then present an (...) argument from analogy based on holistic developmental biology. Last, I examine two experiments exemplifying the need for PDH. (shrink)

Historical study of the humanism in Indian thought.

Study of Jaina logic and philosophy with reference to Tattvabodhavidhāyinī of Abhayadeva, 10th century, commentary on Sammatitarkaprakaraṇa of Siddhasena Divakara.

Contributed research papers on theoretical and practical aspect of Dharma in Vedic and classical Sanskrit literature.

Comparative study of discipline in Theravada and Sarvastivada Buddhism.

Conversation with Navjyoti Singh, philosopher, chiefly about his views of modern Indic philosophy.

Comparative study of the philosophy of Cārvāka and David Hume, 1711-1776.

One.The Glass is Always Half-full? Countering the Optimists -- Two. The `Doomsday Clock' is Always with Us: Pessimism in History -- Three. Optimists v. Pessimists: Economics and Politics -- Four. I Think, Therefore I Expect the Worst: Pessimism in Philosophy -- Five. A World Without Meaning: Pessimism in Literary Fiction -- Six. Visions of Despair: Pessimism in the Arts -- Seven. The Benefits of a Half-empty Glass: Pessimism as a Lifestyle.

This 2nd edition of Executive Ethics provides a variety of contemporary and timely readings squarely focused on the ethical dilemmas and challenges faced by today's C-suite executives. In addition to identifying these dilemmas and challenges, the contributors provide both knowledge and insight on how C-suite executives can proactively address such ethics issues. The contributors provide unique value propositions for the C-suite regarding the most critical ethical issues facing organizations today while also highlighting useful information for senior executives interested in integrating (...) ethics into the leadership and management practices of their organizations. In the end, the book empowers C-suite executives to build a long-term, strategic, and enterprise-wide approach to ethics. (shrink)

Jean-François Lyotard (1924-1998) was one of the most important French philosophers of the Twentieth Century. His impact has been felt across many disciplines: sociology; cultural studies; art theory and politics. This volume presents a diverse selection of interviews, conversations and debates which relate to the five decades of his working life, both as a political militant, experimental philosopher and teacher. Including hard-to-find interviews and previously untranslated material, this is the first time that interviews with Lyotard have been presented as a (...) collection. Key concepts from Lyotard's thought – the differend, the postmodern, the immaterial – are debated and discussed across different time periods, prompted by specific contexts and provocations. In addition there are debates with other thinkers, including Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida, which may be less familiar to an Anglophone audience. These debates and interviews help to contextualise Lyotard, highlighting the importance of Marx, Freud, Kant and Wittgenstein, in addition to the Jewish thought which accompanies the questions of silence, justice and presence that pervades Lyotard's thinking. (shrink)

Comparative study of Yoga according to Patañjali and Nātha sect.

Influence of the fundamentals of Sankhya and Yoga on Indic philosophy; a study.

Analytical study of Advaita and Viśiṣṭādvaita school in Hindu philosophy.

Study on modern linguistics, works of Indic linguists, and Hindi language.

Scientific models are used to predict and understand the target phenomena in the reality. The kind of epistemic relationship between the model and the reality is always regarded by most of the philosophers as a representational one. I argue that, complementary to this representational role, some of the scientific models have a constructive role to play in altering and reconstructing the reality in a physical way. I hold that the idealized model assumptions and elements bestow the constructive force of a (...) model on the reality. By recognizing the physical constructive force of some scientific models, the merit of these models could be judged by how successful they are in the reality construction, rather than by the traditional criterion of model-world representation. (shrink)

Research on religion can advance understanding of social cognition by building connections to sociology, a field in which much cognitively oriented work has been done. Among the schools of sociological thought that address religious cognition are: structural functionalism, symbolic interactionism, conflict theory, phenomenology, and, most recently, exchange theory. The gulf between sociology and cognitive science is an unfortunate historical accident.

A brief introduction to and commentary on the life of the Chinese philosopher Laozi is followed by an interpretative text of his teachings.

Study in context of Indian religions, philosophers and thinkers.

Study on Rūpārūpavibhāga, Abhidhamma terminology by Buddhadatta.

Concept of Mokṣa (liberation) in Indian philosophy with reference to Hindu pilgrims.

Study on Vācaspatimiśra's Bhāmatī, 10th century supercommentary of Śaṅkarācārya's Śārīrakamīmāṃsābhāṣya, Advaita commentary of Bādarāyaṇa's Brahmasūtra, basic Vedanta work.

Study of the declension (vibhakti) in Bhāṭṭarahasya of Khaṇḍadeva, 1575-1665, work on Mimamsa philosophy.