180225 SE The Field of Between (2023W)

Aim of the course
This seminar facilitates the acquisition of epistemological insights at the intersection of Buddhist thought and contemporary technology and natural science through reflexive, critical, and independent thinking. Under the broad category of “Buddhism,” our focus will be on the philosophical schools of thought that have developed during the long history of Buddhism in East Asia as well as on more modern philosophical movements, among which the Kyoto School is prominent.
In this seminar, the ontology and epistemology of Buddhism form the basis of every topic. This permits a comparative-philosophical dialogue in the following three respects: a) the philosophy of Buddhism and occidental philosophy, b) the state of research in the natural sciences and the corresponding philosophical question, and c) dialogue at the border of cognitive science and philosophy.
“The Field of Between” poses epistemological questions at the intersection of contemporary physics, technology, medicine, and philosophy; furthermore, the theories of cognitive science are considered to be dialogue partner of philosophy. Here the term "philosophy" is taken to mean comprehensive disciplines of thought as a reflective science of all sciences (in the sense of Fichte). Likewise, Reininger’s statement, “philosophy is basically a human science” (Metaphysik der Wirklichkeit, Munich 1970, p. 262), reflects the approach taken in this seminar. It is hoped that the border dividing the natural sciences and technologies from the humanities, human and social sciences – motivated by the prevalent digitalization and information networking in this century –will be partly dissolved.
Content and method
Four topics will be explored:
1) The Field of Between - its epistemological meaning,
2) Mechanism versus organism – information and reality;
3) The Logic of Non-Verbality,
4) Absolute contradictory self-identity.

Details:
1) The theory of particle physics upends the theories of classical physics. If we accept the new particle physics as a transition to a new ontology, what unique perspectives and aspects are we presented with?
2) When we consider existing things in our time, we judge, in the first place, their functionality. Functions are based on the components of a mechanical system and the parts of an organism may be said to operate; yet an organic role cannot be equated with a mechanical component present in an automated system. Why is this the case?
3) A thorough, intuitive grasp of truth without excess verbosity is valued in Zen Buddhism. The active consciousness in connection with the bodily existence (spirit) conveys reality to coexisting being by its presence at the place of life, even without a word about the truth being spoken. I-shin den-shin /immediate mediation of the spiritual to a coexisting being. This topic will be explored via koans (a kind of provocative question posed in Zen Buddhism) found the classical Zen text "Hekigan-roku.”/”Bi-yan-lu” (Record of the Zen dialogues and anecdotes at the monastery of Blue Cliff).
4) The “Aporon” is a contemporary epistemological principle explored by the theoretical physicist Herbert Pietschmann at the University of Vienna. It concerns overcoming contradiction, a state of affairs which is known to appear frequently in particle physics. In the creation of this principle, a significant influence was Nishida’s ontological-epistemological thought (representative of the philosophy of the Kyoto school), namely “absolute-contradictory self-identity.” This topic will be explored in detail during the SE.