Trying to Make Sense of What’s Happening in the World
What can we learn about what’s happening in the world now from ancient and more recent history? In this series of talks Vaddhaka brings a Buddhist perspective to bear upon the recent work of anthropologists, archaeologists, philosophers, historians, religious specialists, and social psychologists, as they look at ancient and more recent history.
For each talk there is a transcript and a recording
01 The Dawn of Everything
“The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity” by David Graeber, professor of anthropology, and David Wengrow, professor of archaeology, sets out to demolish the conventional account of human history. Graeber and Wengrow also raise the issue of whether human nature is fundamentally good or fundamentally violent.
02 Is Humanity’s Progress Guaranteed?
English philosopher and author John Gray argues that much of western society is caught up in what he calls ‘the myth of progress’; the belief that human society, guided by science and reason, is advancing inexorably towards a bright future. Gray argues that this belief is fundamentally wrong, because, he argues, history moves in cycles between civilisation and barbarism.
03 To Be Or Not To Be: Iain McGilchrist
In a talk given at the end of 2022 literary scholar, neuroscientist, and philosopher Iain McGilchrist explains how the left and right hemispheres of the brain have different ways of paying attention and understanding what is happening.
Vaddhaka links Iain McGilchrist’s analysis to the Buddha’s teachings on the three lakshanas, or characteristics of conditioned existence, and the three vimoksha mukkhas, or gateways to liberation.
04 The Great Transformation: Karl Jaspers and the Axial Age
Karl Jaspers defined the Axial Age as a broad period from around 800 to 200 BCE, when a revolutionary spiritual and philosophical change happened in different parts of the world.
After reviewing Karl Japers’ own analysis, Vaddhaka looks at three modern perspectives on the Axial Age; from anthropologist David Graeber; from specialist in comparative religion, Karen Armstrong; and from Sangharakshita, the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and community.
05 Is Social Media Making Us Stupid?
American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt believes that social media is helping to make human beings stupid. Vaddhaka brings a Buddhist perspective to bear upon Haidt’s arguments, with particular reference to the Buddha’s teaching on an anger eating demon, and its relevance to our interactions on social media.
06 What to do in a time of great uncertainty?
In this final talk in the series Vaddhaka summarises what we might learn from the previous five talks, giving particular attention to Sangharakshita’s views on the individual, the group, and the spiritual community. .