Philosophy of Mind Around the World: A New Conception of Consciousness

The field of philosophical inquiry into consciousness has long been divided into analytical philosophy and phenomenology, often excluding non-Western traditions. Presenting a unique global perspective, Gereon Kopf makes the case for a new method to assess diverse approaches to the philosophy of mind and introduces a new definition of consciousness.

Drawing on various disciplines, Philosophy of Mind around the World engages with the conception of mind in relation to cognitive science, AI research, contemplative studies, philosophy of mind, phenomenology and global philosophy, including South and East Asian perspectives. Kopf not only considers First-Person and Third-Person approaches, but the Second-Person approach proposed by dialogical philosophy and the Fourth-Person approach implied by some Mahayana Buddhist thinkers and the Kyoto School.

Featuring a multiplicity of methods, Kopf’s interdisciplinary examination explicitly challenges the Eurocentric paradigm and introduces a new fourfold theory of the mind, defined as intelligent, conscious, self-conscious and communal.

Gereon Kopf is Professor of East Asian religions and philosophy of religion at Luther College, USA.