New Materialism, Buddhism, and the question of reflexivity

Buddhist codependent-arising, not-self and emptiness theorisation has trajectories parallel but not identical to Western philosophical trends that emphasise process, ecological interdependence, and relationality. 

In this talk, Wendi Adamek focuses on the term 'copoiesis' in order to talk about intersections and differences between Buddhist and contemporary approaches to the lack of foundational identities. 'Copoiesis' derives from

• Heidegger’s notion of poiēsis as bringing-forth into unconcealment.
• Maturana and Varela’s use of 'autopoeisis' for living systems that are self-sustaining through adaptive mutual specifications.
• Buddhist theorisations of subject-object co-constitution whereby these are understood as linked constructs generated in causal chains of intentional acts. 

These derivations share the productive idea that attention and its apparatuses are what give rise to a corresponding momentary specification or apparent essence. This supports a phenomenology of interactive awareness as core and identities as derivative. 

Adamek also discusses how interdependence as evoked in ecological discourse can be disambiguated from Buddhist interdependence by focusing on the problem of reflexivity. She argues that Barad’s framing of 'intra-active realism' in their ethics of 'response-ability' misses the productive necessity of ambiguity in subject-object emergence and the opportunities this affords in adaptive, attentive copoiesis.

Attending the event

This event is free, open to the public, and held in person only.

Sponsor and organiser

This lecture has been co-organised by the SOAS Centre of Buddhist Studies and the SOAS Centre for Global and Comparative Philosophies. The Buddhist Forum series is kindly sponsored by the Khyentse Foundation.