Language and Consciousness in Early Buddhist Thought: On the Early Reflections on the Theme of Language and the Perception of Reality in the Pāli Canon
Philosophies April 25, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/philosophies10020031 via DOAJ
Summary
The paper analyzes the Buddhist view on language and its effects on perception and cognition, highlighting that archaic Buddhism presents a sophisticated theory of knowledge found in the Pāli Canon. It compares Buddhist insights on language with Saussure’s linguistic theories and addresses fundamental issues in philosophy, perception, and cognition. This comparison aims to foster dialogue between the philosophy of mind, language, cognitive sciences, and linguistics through a unique Buddhist perspective.
Study at a glance
| Key finding | Archaic Buddhism provides a well-articulated theory of knowledge that parallels early linguistic theories and addresses key issues in perception and cognition. |
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Abstract
In this paper, the Buddhist view on language and its implications for perception and cognition will be analyzed. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that archaic Buddhism, as documented in the suttas of the Pāli Canon, already presents a well-articulated theory of knowledge, and that Buddhist considerations on the problem of language are comparable to Saussure’s early linguistic theories, as well as to fundamental issues in the philosophy of perception and theories of cognition. This comparison with Buddhist thought seeks to provide a technical approach to the problem of consciousness in order to structure a systematic dialogue between the philosophy of mind and language, cognitive sciences, and linguistics, offering an original perspective on these topics through Buddhist thought.