Selfless Agents

Abstract

This project will address the fundamental question in the background of the Self, Motivation and Virtue Project: How is the Self to be conceived? We challenge the premise of western philosophy that a diachronically unified self is the locus of moral progress? Instead, we posit the fifth century B.C. Buddhist thesis that a diachronically unified self is a conceptual falsity and it is not necessary for moral progress. This hypothesis will be validated through novel neurophenomenological experimentation using advanced brain mapping techniques. Neurophenomenology seeks to integrate valid first-person subjective information with third-person objective measures to gain a more complete understanding of mind and consciousness. Buddhist phenomenological insights, which enable elicitation of highly refined and informative first-person reports, will underpin the experimental design.