Philosopher's Zone
Philosopher's Zone
ABC ABC Australia
Where am I? Buddhist philosophy and the self
39 minutes Posted May 12, 2026 at 11:00 pm.
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Show notes
Behind the familiar Buddhist doctrine that "there is no self" lies a centuries-long tradition of dispute and disagreement. Reductionists believe that the self is no more than a bundle of sense impressions and mental states that add up to nothing of substance or permanence, while emergentists believe that the self is something more - something related to these impressions and mental states, but not reducible to them. We're not going to settle the argument this week, but we will be exploring the ethical ramifications and asking what's at stake.