Leah Kalmanson (University of North Texas)
How to Change Your Mind: The Contemplative Practices of Philosophy
The methods of philosophy may be associated with practices such as rational dialogue, logical analysis, argumentation, and intellectual inquiry. However, many philosophical traditions in Asia, as well as in the ancient Greek world, consider an array of embodied contemplative practices as central to the work of philosophy and as philosophical methods in themselves. Together we will survey a few such practices, including those of the ancient Greeks as well as examples from Jain, Buddhist, and Confucian traditions. Revisiting the contemplative practices of philosophy can help us to rethink the boundaries of the discipline, the nature and scope of scholarly methods, and the role of philosophy in everyday life.
Leah Kalmanson presents the first lecture in the 2021 London Lecture Series: Expanding Horizons