Dr

This thesis critically examines the project of Buddhist naturalism, with particular focus on Owen Flanagan’s attempt to reframe Buddhism in a way that aligns with scientific naturalism, physicalist ontology and neuroscience. It analyzes Flanagan’s argument for removing metaphysical elements such as rebirth and immaterial mental states and explores whether this results in a more epistemically and rationally defensible framework. While Flanagan maintains that a naturalized Buddhism preserves ethical integrity without reliance on supernatural claims, this thesis argues that his position relies on unexamined metaphysical commitments to physicalism. Drawing on critiques from Christian Coseru, Matthew MacKenzie, and Wouter Hanegraaff, I aim to show that Flanagan’s dismissal of immaterial causation and first-person contemplative knowledge often rests on circular reasoning, creating an epistemic double standard and asymmetry, risking a notable distortion to the discourse between science and...Show moreThis thesis critically examines the project of Buddhist naturalism, with particular focus on Owen Flanagan’s attempt to reframe Buddhism in a way that aligns with scientific naturalism, physicalist ontology and neuroscience. It analyzes Flanagan’s argument for removing metaphysical elements such as rebirth and immaterial mental states and explores whether this results in a more epistemically and rationally defensible framework. While Flanagan maintains that a naturalized Buddhism preserves ethical integrity without reliance on supernatural claims, this thesis argues that his position relies on unexamined metaphysical commitments to physicalism. Drawing on critiques from Christian Coseru, Matthew MacKenzie, and Wouter Hanegraaff, I aim to show that Flanagan’s dismissal of immaterial causation and first-person contemplative knowledge often rests on circular reasoning, creating an epistemic double standard and asymmetry, risking a notable distortion to the discourse between science and Buddhism. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether Flanagan’s framework successfully avoids the problems of epiphenomenalism and reductionism, and whether it succeeds providing epistemically and rationally more robust theory. Ultimately, this study questions whether the naturalization of Buddhism results in a genuinely improved philosophical model or simply mirrors modern Western assumptions about reason, science, and belief.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Dr