29th Annual Student Research Conference
The Philosophy of Action: An Exploration of Non-desire
Christopher Munguia
Dr. Chad Mohler, Faculty Mentor
The idea of non-desire peaked my interest when I was studying Buddhism. According to Buddhist philosophy, suffering is a product of desire/craving. If desire leads to suffering, then it's opposite must cease suffering (-D->-S non-desire leads to the negation of suffering). Therefore, non-desire (the opposite of desire/craving) is what leads to no more suffering. However, if we want to no longer suffer, then this still counts as a desire (the desire to no longer suffer). In my paper, I address this conundrum in a non-Buddhist context, meaning my research does not depend on any interpretations from esoteric or dogmatic texts. I believe there are means of deriving (-D) (non-desire) through an initial desire. The final product is a syllogism that shows how (-D) and (D) can both occur to produce the negation of suffering. The process occurs when an intentional action (D) leads to an unintentional non-desire (-D).
Keywords: action, awareness, Buddhisn, intent, philosophy, suffering
Topic(s):Philosophy & Religion
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: -4
Location: MG 2050
Time: 10:15