WITTGENSTEIN’S DISAPPEARING IDEALISM

Idealism and Pragmatism

1. The Problem I begin with a gloomy observation on monastic education by Phra Prayud Payutto (1939) of Thailan whom Tambiah calls "a brilliant scholar-monk" [1]. Payutto said in 1984: "The present state of m education is similar to a sky which has some spots of sunshine, but is in fact full of cloud. The sky is n clear. When monks themselves see the dull and overcast sky they may feel disheart...

Idealism in Yogācāra Buddhism

In the last fifty years or so, since Yogācāra texts have been available to western academics, there has been a debate as to how Yogācāra Buddhism should be interpreted. This article seeks to establish that Yogācāra Buddhism is most properly interpreted as an idealist school of Buddhist thought. Specifically, it challenges the arguments that have been put forth in recent years that suggest a phe...

Causal Refutations of Idealism

In the ‘Refutation of Idealism’ chapter of the first ‘Critique’, Kant argues that the conditions required for having certain kinds of mental episodes are sufficient to guarantee that there are ‘objects in space’ outside us. A perennially influential way of reading this compressed argument is as a kind of causal inference: in order for us to make justified judgements about the order of our inner...

Internal Realism: Transcendental Idealism?

Idealism can work changes

For many Rice students, tomorrow will be their first chance to participate in a presidential election. Yet a large number of people are still undecided; and many don't wish to support any of the candidates that are running for the presidency of the United States. The campaign has dealt little with issues and specifics. More important have been the public images of each candidate, his views on m...