Indian and Western philosophy both contain debates about whether there is any ultimate foundation to reality. Must there be a fundamental ground of things? And if so, what would it have to be like? Alternatively, could phenomena float free of each other, un-united and ungrounded by deeper causation or constitution? This conflict between scepticism and metaphysical foundations has taken place in different traditions through history, including Classical Indian Buddhists and Vedantins, and Modern Philosophers of grounding and causation.
In these three seminars we debate arguments for an ultimate metaphysical ground of things. Borrowing from Vedanta’s medieval arguments against Buddhist nihilism, we will discuss whether the arguments succeed, and what kind of ultimate reality they might show.
Wednesday 17th May, 3pm:
Philosophies of Fragments or Foundations? Buddhist arguments for Finite Flux vs Vedanta’s Fundamental Unity
Wednesday 24th May, 3pm:
What Shapes Reality? Vedantins Grounding the Modal Coherence of Reality in a Single Power
Wednesday 31st May, 3pm:
Ultimate Stuff, Power or Space? Buddhists Sceptics and Vedantic Monists Coming Together at Last