The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism and Philosophy

Forman, Robert K. C.

ISBN 10: 0195059808 / ISBN 13: 9780195059809

Edité par Oxford University Press (edition First Edition), 1990

It's a preowned item in good condition and includes all the pages. It may have some general signs of wear and tear, such as markings, highlighting, slight damage to the cover, minimal wear to the binding, etc., but they will not affect the overall reading experience. N° de réf. du vendeur 0195059808-11-1

Synopsis :

This collection of essays challenges the widely accepted interpretation of mystical experience that received its fullest expression in two volumes edited by Steven T. Katz, "Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis" and "Mysticism and Religious Traditions". According to Katz and his colleagues, mystical experience is not qualitatively different from ordinary experience, and can be explained as the constructed and mediated product of previously held beliefs and concepts. On this view, there is no such thing as "universal" mystical experience. The present volume attempts to show that there is a single type of mystical experience that cuts across cultural and linguistic lines. This is the experience of "pure consciousness," a state in which the subject remains conscious but experiences neither thought, sensation, feeling, nor object of consciousness. Part I of the book demonstrates that there are well-attested reports of pure consciousness events occurring in a wide variety of ages and traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism. The essays in Part II consider the philosophical implications of these reports, arguing that there are no logical blocks to the claim of pure consciousness events. The question of unity vs plurality in experience is discussed, and a new model for the relation between mysticism and the socio-linguistic background is proposed.

Présentation de l'éditeur: This is a paperback reprint of a collection of contributed essays about mysticism and philosophy. It challenges the widely accepted interpretaion of mystical experience that received its fullest expression in two volumes edited by Steven T. Katz: Mysticism and Philosophical Analysis (OUP 1987) and Mysticism and Religious Traditions (OUP 1983). According to Katz and his colleagues, mystical experience, can be explained as the constructed and mediated product of previously held beliefs and concepts. On this view, there is no such thing as 'universal' mystical experience. The present volume attempts to show that there is a single type of mystical experience that cuts across cultural and linguistic lines. This is the experience of 'pure consciousnes,' a state in which the subject remains conscious but experiences neither thought, sensation, feeling, nor object of consciousness. Part I of the book demonstrates that there are well-attested reports of pure consciousness events occuring in a wide variety of ages and traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The essays in Part II consider the philosophical implications of these reports, arguing that there are no logical blocks to the claim of pure consciousness events.

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Problem of Pure Consciousness: Mysticism...
Éditeur : Oxford University Press (edition First Edition)
Date d'édition : 1990
Reliure : Hardcover
Etat : Good
Edition : First Edition.