https://www.everand.com/audiobook/611823707/Losing-Ourselves-Learning-to-Live-without-a-Self
https://www.amazon.com.au/Losing-Ourselves-Learning-Live-without-ebook/dp/B09M7XCWQX/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=4c4hG&content-id=amzn1.sym.3d6c6878-a04d-4b91-ba39-79050b3d3bb8&pf_rd_p=3d6c6878-a04d-4b91-ba39-79050b3d3bb8&pf_rd_r=355-6778232-8981846&pd_rd_wg=U63XQ&pd_rd_r=39113069-bbc3-4d8f-b573-2a32e4b4fb95&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk
Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live Without a Self
by Jay L. Garfield
Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live Without a Self
by Jay L. Garfield
4.26 · Rating details · 129 ratings · 17 reviews
Why you don't have a self--and why that's a good thing
In Losing Ourselves, Jay Garfield, a leading expert on Buddhist philosophy, offers a brief and radically clear account of an idea that at first might seem frightening but that promises to liberate us and improve our lives, our relationships, and the world. Drawing on Indian and East Asian Buddhism, Daoism, Western philosophy, and cognitive neuroscience, Garfield shows why it is perfectly natural to think you have a self--and why it actually makes no sense at all and is even dangerous. Most importantly, he explains why shedding the illusion that you have a self can make you a better person.
Examining a wide range of arguments for and against the existence of the self, Losing Ourselves makes the case that there are not only good philosophical and scientific reasons to deny the reality of the self, but that we can lead healthier social and moral lives if we understand that we are selfless persons. The book describes why the Buddhist idea of no-self is so powerful and why it has immense practical benefits, helping us to abandon egoism, act more morally and ethically, be more spontaneous, perform more expertly, and navigate ordinary life more skillfully. Getting over the self-illusion also means escaping the isolation of self-identity and becoming a person who participates with others in the shared enterprise of life.
The result is a transformative book about why we have nothing to lose--and everything to gain--by losing our selves. (less)
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Jay L. Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and Buddhist Studies at Smith College and a visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School. His many books include Engaging Buddhism. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review
“Wise, useful, and surprising, this is a remarkable and brave exploration of selflessness and personhood by the brilliant Buddhist scholar and philosopher Jay Garfield. It is a book for our time, when the author opens for the reader the ethical implications of selflessness, and, to quote him, ‘what it means for our understanding of our place in the world.’ A wonderful book.”―Roshi Joan Halifax, Zen Buddhist teacher and author of Being with Dying
“Losing Ourselves exemplifies cross-cultural philosophy at its very finest, bringing seminal insights from both Western and Asian thinkers to bear on a single vexed but pressing issue―the nature of the self. In spite of the complexities of the topic and the source texts he adduces, Garfield’s writing is unfailingly accessible and lively. And equally important, Losing Ourselves is a testament to the rewards gained by, and indeed the urgent need for, the pursuit of philosophy in a more cosmopolitan mode.”―Robert Sharf, chair of the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley
“Jay Garfield stages a skillful and imaginative discussion around Buddhist notions of how the self appears and whether it actually exists, bringing together a wide-ranging cast of thinkers from different periods, cultures, and disciplines. This debate is not carried out in the abstract for amusement―the thrust and parry culminate in important conclusions about how viewing ourselves as interdependent persons rather than independent selves is not only more realistic, but crucial for leading an ethical and meaningful life.”―Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron, Buddhist teacher and author of Open Heart, Clear Mind --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Apr 23, 2022Blaine Snow marked it as to-read
Shelves: buddhism
Finally got a copy - review forthcoming.
Meanwhile, an interview in Tricycle magazine about the book is worth checking out... search "Tricycle" and "Garfield." (less)
flag11 likes · Like · comment · see review
Aug 02, 2022Kailey Brennan rated it it was amazing
I very much enjoyed reading "Losing Ourselves" after hearing the author interviewed on Sam Harris' "Making Sense" podcast. This book is a Western academic's explanation of the Buddhist/Eastern concept of "no self". I really don't think there is a book like this out there and I can't imagine it was in any way an easy book to write. I think the author writes about as clearly as one could on this very complex subject. This concept has been given deep scholarly and philosophical (as well experiential in the Buddhist meditative traditions) consideration for thousands of years in the East and Garfield makes the case that the West has failed to adequately engage with and learn from this valuable perspective. An understanding of "no self" is consequential for the way we think about us "as persons" and how we can live ethically and interdependently with our fellow human beings. The first 100 pages go in-depth into both Eastern and Western conceptions of the self informed by philosophy, developmental psychology, and neurobiology. For anyone with a deep interest in meditation, a desire to do a deep dive into the concept of "no self", or values the human enterprise of more thoughtfully trying to consider what this whole crazy existence is all about, I would highly recommend this book. It will leave you with much to think about. (less)
flag4 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review
Aug 27, 2022Clay rated it liked it
Shelves: buddhism
Don't be misled by the subtitle--there is little in the way of practical advice here. The author is a philosopher (a good one) but apparently not a meditator. At one point he makes the bizarre claim that a person experiencing a flow state has no sense of self, giving actors and dancers as an example. I'm baffled as to how a person so involved with Buddhism could make this error. This would imply that people in flow states experience a total absence of suffering or stress during such periods, which is silly. I hope what he meant to say (although there is no evidence that he grasps this point) is that the self-sense manifests on a spectrum. We can have a gross sense of self or a very subtle and refined one, and where we are on this spectrum fluctuates with our levels craving and clinging. The dancer mid-performance may have shed the coarser layers, which is lovely, but they've not gone the whole way.
To learn to go the whole way you have to practice, and Professor Garfield's book likely won't help you with that. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review
Jul 23, 2022Kathryn Duncan rated it really liked it
I found this book enormously helpful for an essay that I'm writing. I think where it misses somewhat is in audience. Garfield explicitly notes that he wrote for a general audience. Granting that the ideas here are paradoxical and complex, the text still can be too difficult to process at times. It's worth the effort, but it still reads too much like it's meant for an academic audience. (Note that I technically am an academic audience though my Ph.D. is in English, not philosophy, and I've read a lot and written about Buddhism.) Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True, for example, tackles equally complex ideas with much more accessible prose. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jun 23, 2022Andrea rated it liked it
It’s clear that the author is an academic.
Most of this book is like listening to a postulating professor debating with himself over philosophical complexities that are highly specified and specialized. It reminded me of writing my thesis, the way we use the words of other people to support our own suggestions.
I didn’t dislike it.
I think I’ll come back to it and re-read it and maybe I’ll feel like this book was only written to fulfill an academician’s required annual publishing demands or maybe I’ll use it for reference to read from the people who are mostly quoted. Either way this book is a fine addition to my library. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jun 24, 2022Jessica Zu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
enlightening!
a must-read for anyone who cares about our humanity, i.e., our shared personhood!
a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our lonely planet.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jun 06, 2022Hugh Simonich rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites
This clearly lays out the argument for a very difficult abstract concept - the intuitive concept that the autonomous, independent self is a mere illusion. Instead, we are persons - interdependently constructed by our participation in a shared world. Jay Garfield demonstrates his authority on this subject with his clear and concise philosophical arguments that build throughout the book. I wish he went on, at least doubling the size of this book, but he was apparently pressured to keep this as brief as it was. Overall, a fantastic book. Loved it. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jul 22, 20221potato added it
I am grateful for this book. I offer my various reactions here:
On the first few chapters:
As someone who doesn't read much philosophy, the style comes off as bloated by being circular, while also feeling rushed. The first half of the book doesn't read like what it seems to want to be: a validation of the instinct to posit a self, an overview of traditions that explicitly posit it, an accessible review of those arguments, and a skillful counter for each. Instead it feels like a slog for me to get to the implications of non-self, which I already accepted going in.
It is interesting that he doesn't include the Ship of Theseus or The Matrix in his explanations or summaries, but the analogies that he does make are well done.
On the rest:
I was so excited in the moment I saw that he was including the four divine virtues as a topic. Everyone should check out Christina Feldman's "Boundless Heart." He does not cite her, unfortunately, but his descriptions of the virtures were well-written enough that hopefully readers will seek further teachings.
In an odd moment at the end of the Ethics chapter, he seems to breeze past the "we're all just atoms, so why is anyone responsible for anything?" question (including in the footnotes...) Surely as a professor, he must be prepared for students who poke at this thorny issue, right? Maybe I didn't understand the writing.
In chapters 8 and 9, he labors to explain that social constructs are part of life, and that they and our bodies affect each other. He stresses that therefore a "social level of analysis" is necessary to understand "who we are, and what our lives are." Feminism offered this insight to us decades ago, I think, with its charge that the "personal is political"; hopefully there will come a day when this is recognized by anybody.
While I think his final sentence has some choices of words that are unfortunately out of sync with certain zeitgeists, the book ends strongly.
In none of the chapters does Garfield give any focus to validation. Validation is a crucially important interpersonal skill in this book's context. In this world where the Buddha lived, in a world that is not yet post-self, we all should be able to validate the pain of others who are suffering due to reification of selves, without validating those beliefs. We should seek teachings on how to do validation; Karyn Hall Ph.D. has a good article on the Psychology Today website, for example. In "How to Be an Adult in Relationships," David Richo describes how validation works from infancy to adulthood, in a self-help context (I am still reading through it.) To eschew validation is to invite an uncompassionate skeptics' movement a la "The God Delusion." This is not remotely Garfield's intention, to be sure, but great caution is warranted here. (less)
flagLike · see review
May 25, 2022Greg Talbot rated it really liked it
Reapproachment continues to be a struggle. The promised roaring 20s of dancefloor action and free love appears more like a furrowed huddle of alienated survivors playing dungeons and dragons. Dogged conflict around masks, mandates, distancing, distance learning, policing, and teaching materials are a painful reminder that unity from our crises is not a given. Our identity and politics shaped by our intensity to the conflicts. Rancor and divide are deep-seeded; speech itself is under threat of silencing from cancellations, slaps, violence and illiberal thought.
In "Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live Without a Self" the primal conviction (p.9) of self-hood is critiqued, our illusion of self is replaced with our personhood. Jay L. Garfield, visiting Buddhist studies professor at the Harvard Divinity school, argues “I believe that the illusion that we are selves undermines ethical cultivation and moral vision, and that coming to understand ourselves as persons facilitates a more salutory, mature moral engagement with those around us’.
Arguments from classical Indian philosopher Candrakirti for unity of self are stripped away as psychological processes. Santideva, another classical Indian philosopher, writes of the underlying egocentricity from the dualism of self. Placing ourselves in the center of the moral universe disenables true friendship, care and imparitality (p.24). Scottish renaissance philosopher David Hume, perhaps the ultimate skeptic, found the unity of self to be an nothing more than the sensations and reactions of phenomena. Garfield, a masterful writer and expert on philosophy, shares thought experiments that question the unity of self, the dualistic nature of self and object and free will that separates us from animals.
One of the joy and challenges of this book is the language provided to understand the terrain of identity. In the introduction, Garfield concedes some readers will see the “self” and “person” argument as distinction without a difference. But the concepts alone are worth considering: synchronic vs diachronic self unity; pre-reflective self awareness; and supervenience. Given that so many readers, myself included, have a reflective sense of true unified self (an atman or soul), this book works with metaphor, stories, reasoning and thought experiments to challenge the fundamental “for-me-ness” of lived experience
There are two areas I wish Garfield would explore more. First, Garfield is an avowed student of the Buddhist dharmic practices, and clearly these ethical teachings are reflected in the last third of the book. The space to explore the “no self” with regard to religious faith seemed reasonable. Another book by his Harvard colleague, Richard Wright’s “Why Buddhism is True”, reveals the overlays of scientific truth with buddhist dharmic teachings. I would suspect that there is a transcending self/soul/atman in some of these faiths that Garfield would reject. But given that “reason” does not hold the prized status in post-modern thought, I thought there might be more to say about the parallels of a spiritual/religious practice and the “no-self” experienced in flow states like prayer, meditation, hallucinogens and elevated experience
The second area that would be interesting to explore is the lack of selfhood in Artificial Intelligence and social media. Sentience may not exist yet for weak AI, but comparison between the artificial neuronal brain and the biological neuronal brain could be an interesting exploration of self and personhood. Also, with our internet profiles that disembody and remove contextual speech cues, the promise of identifying with a personhood in these realms seems to not have the same promise of the “no-self” aware person. We engage this virtual space and with it a mode of ourselves get here..maybe just another narrative self though.
Borrowing a line from the late existentialist professor Robert C. Solomon, from the University of Texas, there is just something that is missing when we take away our agency from our identity.Talking about a human being as a confluence of forces or an actor in their narrative prevents us from seeing the choice and responsibility that makes life meaningful. I concede the points Garfield makes, that our ego-self is limited, reactive and often unethical. But I would also argue that life is about transcending our self. The passions, which can leave us inspired or foolish, can only be experienced by this consciousness. This language of self-ownership provide some sense of purpose in this chaotic world. Illusion or not, this fixed consciosuness is our steady rock in a sea of change. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jul 03, 2022David rated it really liked it
This is a deep dive into the philosophical and scientific reasons of why the "self" doesn't exist. I found parts of this book dry and academic and it would suit those who want to wrestle with the intricacies of this topic.
The author distinguishes between the concepts of self and person. While we don't have a self, we are persons which are socially/environmentally constructed. In this way, we are not separate from others and the world.
This is a powerful Buddhist idea which has deep practical application which I found missing in this book. I had hoped that the author would have spent a bit more time on how to apply this knowledge that the self is an illusion.
As a result, the tagline of the book "learning to live without a self" is misleading. It should be changed to "learning why we don't have a self". (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Aug 14, 2022Maria Isabel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Ready for a ride on the roller coaster?
This is a must read book, but not before one is ready to take a ride on the roller coaster of facing the discovery of being so profoundly wrong about what it is being that one and unrepeatable self (?) fully known only to oneself.
I ended up having lost all notion of “me” only to find myself still complete, and even more so, at the end.
I so hope that having been shown the illusion, I will, at least, be able to teach myself to keep the illusion on my conscience as much as possible; meaning that I hope I can be reminded at every possible turn that I’m taking seriously a mere illusion.
(less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Aug 04, 2022Mark rated it it was ok · review of another edition
1 note & 15 highlights
I enthusiastically bought this book after hearing the author’s interview with Sam Harris. The concept that we don’t have selves is a difficult but intriguing one for me, and I was hoping this book could help. Perhaps I need to reread it. The author didn’t shed any new light or present any new insights into nondualism, other than the idea that we are socially constructed. The book, however, is filled with many philosophical arguments which I couldn’t follow. I feel substantially unenlightened (and somewhat dumb) after this puzzling read. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Jun 06, 2022Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
One of the most accessible books on the self I've ever read - and of course real world application of why it's important is the real kicker. Recommended. (less)
flagLike · see review
Aug 17, 2022John rated it really liked it
An illuminating book, but could’ve used another round of copy editing before publication.
flagLike · comment · see review
Jul 16, 2022Joseph Patterson rated it it was amazing
Thoroughly selfless.
flagLike · comment · see review
Jul 04, 2022Rowan Holyer rated it really liked it
Essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism.
flagLike · comment · see review
====
Top reviews from the United States
Dan Baer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the most effective self-help book: there is no self!Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
I so enjoyed this book. Chapters one through five "slay" the illusion of the self, and chapters six through ten explain how relinquishing the illusion of selfhood and replacing it with the reality of being a person "embodied, embedded, and enactive" in/with/as the world moves us toward a happier, healthier, shared life. I'd like to include a couple quotations to help prospective readers get a taste of Garfield's thought and writing:
"To understand one's selflessness is to understand not that one is nonexistent, but that one is a real person in constant interaction with everything else in one's environment, a causally interdependent sequence of psychophysical processes. And it is to understand that the identity we do have – our personal identity – is not achieved alone, but instead is achieved only in immersed interaction with the rest of the world we inhabit. The myriad things – the entities of the empirical world – therefore do not constitute an independent reality with which we interact, but instead constitute a reality as sub-processes of the causal unfolding of the universe" (pp 112-3).
"To believe that we have selves is to succumb to a natural illusion, just as we succumb naturally to optical illusions. We are neither substantial subjects who take the world as object, nor free actors who intervene in an otherwise law-governed natural world. Instead, we are persons: hyper-social organisms embedded in the world, in open causal interaction with our environments and with each other; complex causal continua who play complex social roles" (p 170).
It's hard not to get the sense that Yuval Harari, Robert Sapolsky, Riccardo Manzotti, Jay Garfield, and no doubt numerous other intellectuals of diverse backgrounds seem to be converging on what might be a Copernican moment for humanity's understanding of what it is.
14 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
"lparks0111"
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book on the concept of no-selfReviewed in the United States on June 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Dr. Garfield. This book is the best explanation of the Buddhist concept of no-self for Westerners that I've come across. I've never understood before and now I do. Garfield deftly explains why competing philosophies are incorrect and, as if he could read my mind, answers exactly the questions I had at exactly the right times. I appreciated his referring to other philosophers throughout the book, particularly those of ancient thought like Shantideva, Dogen and Nagarjuna. I will read again and again, and recommend to others.
5 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Jessica Zu
5.0 out of 5 stars enlightening!Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
a must-read for anyone who cares about our humanity, i.e., our shared personhood!
a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our lonely planet.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Dan Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming KnowledgeReviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Understanding the difference between a self and a person is critically important and the author Jay Garfield has written a very good book about the difference and why it is so important for us to understand and accept.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Klaus D.
3.0 out of 5 stars Really?Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
Received it today and what a surprise... the package was just fine so it already left office like this. Definitely should check on the process.
HelpfulReport abuse
AltCountry007
5.0 out of 5 stars Audible; Making Sense podcastReviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
I would appreciate an Audible edition of this book, especially if Dr. Garfield is the reader. I strongly recommend the brilliant conversation between Dr. Garfield and Sam Harris on the Making Sense podcast (# 282).
29 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Carmen1959
5.0 out of 5 stars great bookReviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
helps clarify non-duality and why that matters.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
J. C. Leissring
3.0 out of 5 stars A Buddhist MetaphysicReviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022
I had hopes, based upon the sub-title, that there might be some empiricism lurking in the prose, but I found none. Carl Sagan, the popular astrophysicist once suggested that “We have designed our civilization based on science and technology and at the same time arranged things so that almost no one understands anything at all about science and technology. This is a clear prescription for disaster” The problem with this book is not its breadth, but rather its narrowness. The book was written in 2022 and yet has nothing to say about the advances made in cognitive neuroscience, so it looks like the author belongs to a group that does not understand the implications of these advances. And, perhaps, because I am a scientist of a kind, I found almost nothing to guide me, no testing of these ideas presented and no references of significance to individuals who have been trying to understand the nature of the mind/consciousness and of course, self-consciousness. I dislike providing negative reviews; in the spirit of the philosopher R. G. Collingwood, who defined metaphysical ideas as the absolute presuppositions of the asserter. Thus, this is metaphysical text, grounded in Buddhist religious presuppositions; not recommended for scientists.
HelpfulReport abuse
See all reviews
Top reviews from other countries
Adrian Bailey
5.0 out of 5 stars A good additionReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2022
Verified Purchase
Interesting philosophical arguments for no-self. Clear writing while serious enough for a layperson. A useful resource probably best combined with past and future studies. It would be interesting to see a follow-up work digging more deeply into practical ethical implications.
Report abuse
michael mortimer
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliantReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
cogent, precise and profoundly useful. thank you for writing this book.
One person found this helpfulReport abuse
Gregorio Tomassi
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking!Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a thought provoking book with a convincing discussion about the idea that while the person in us exists, the idea of self and free will are illusions.
I would have appreciated a clearer structure and simpler arguments in the section devoted to prove false the ideas proposed about the reality of self. I still find it difficult to link the community values as a necessary consequence of us humans trashing the self illusion.
Report abuse
Why you don't have a self--and why that's a good thing
In Losing Ourselves, Jay Garfield, a leading expert on Buddhist philosophy, offers a brief and radically clear account of an idea that at first might seem frightening but that promises to liberate us and improve our lives, our relationships, and the world. Drawing on Indian and East Asian Buddhism, Daoism, Western philosophy, and cognitive neuroscience, Garfield shows why it is perfectly natural to think you have a self--and why it actually makes no sense at all and is even dangerous. Most importantly, he explains why shedding the illusion that you have a self can make you a better person.
Examining a wide range of arguments for and against the existence of the self, Losing Ourselves makes the case that there are not only good philosophical and scientific reasons to deny the reality of the self, but that we can lead healthier social and moral lives if we understand that we are selfless persons. The book describes why the Buddhist idea of no-self is so powerful and why it has immense practical benefits, helping us to abandon egoism, act more morally and ethically, be more spontaneous, perform more expertly, and navigate ordinary life more skillfully. Getting over the self-illusion also means escaping the isolation of self-identity and becoming a person who participates with others in the shared enterprise of life.
The result is a transformative book about why we have nothing to lose--and everything to gain--by losing our selves. (less)
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Jay L. Garfield is the Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy, Logic, and Buddhist Studies at Smith College and a visiting professor of Buddhist philosophy at Harvard Divinity School. His many books include Engaging Buddhism. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review
“Wise, useful, and surprising, this is a remarkable and brave exploration of selflessness and personhood by the brilliant Buddhist scholar and philosopher Jay Garfield. It is a book for our time, when the author opens for the reader the ethical implications of selflessness, and, to quote him, ‘what it means for our understanding of our place in the world.’ A wonderful book.”―Roshi Joan Halifax, Zen Buddhist teacher and author of Being with Dying
“Losing Ourselves exemplifies cross-cultural philosophy at its very finest, bringing seminal insights from both Western and Asian thinkers to bear on a single vexed but pressing issue―the nature of the self. In spite of the complexities of the topic and the source texts he adduces, Garfield’s writing is unfailingly accessible and lively. And equally important, Losing Ourselves is a testament to the rewards gained by, and indeed the urgent need for, the pursuit of philosophy in a more cosmopolitan mode.”―Robert Sharf, chair of the Center for Buddhist Studies, University of California, Berkeley
“Jay Garfield stages a skillful and imaginative discussion around Buddhist notions of how the self appears and whether it actually exists, bringing together a wide-ranging cast of thinkers from different periods, cultures, and disciplines. This debate is not carried out in the abstract for amusement―the thrust and parry culminate in important conclusions about how viewing ourselves as interdependent persons rather than independent selves is not only more realistic, but crucial for leading an ethical and meaningful life.”―Bhiksuni Thubten Chodron, Buddhist teacher and author of Open Heart, Clear Mind --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Apr 23, 2022Blaine Snow marked it as to-read
Shelves: buddhism
Finally got a copy - review forthcoming.
Meanwhile, an interview in Tricycle magazine about the book is worth checking out... search "Tricycle" and "Garfield." (less)
flag11 likes · Like · comment · see review
Aug 02, 2022Kailey Brennan rated it it was amazing
I very much enjoyed reading "Losing Ourselves" after hearing the author interviewed on Sam Harris' "Making Sense" podcast. This book is a Western academic's explanation of the Buddhist/Eastern concept of "no self". I really don't think there is a book like this out there and I can't imagine it was in any way an easy book to write. I think the author writes about as clearly as one could on this very complex subject. This concept has been given deep scholarly and philosophical (as well experiential in the Buddhist meditative traditions) consideration for thousands of years in the East and Garfield makes the case that the West has failed to adequately engage with and learn from this valuable perspective. An understanding of "no self" is consequential for the way we think about us "as persons" and how we can live ethically and interdependently with our fellow human beings. The first 100 pages go in-depth into both Eastern and Western conceptions of the self informed by philosophy, developmental psychology, and neurobiology. For anyone with a deep interest in meditation, a desire to do a deep dive into the concept of "no self", or values the human enterprise of more thoughtfully trying to consider what this whole crazy existence is all about, I would highly recommend this book. It will leave you with much to think about. (less)
flag4 likes · Like · 1 comment · see review
Aug 27, 2022Clay rated it liked it
Shelves: buddhism
Don't be misled by the subtitle--there is little in the way of practical advice here. The author is a philosopher (a good one) but apparently not a meditator. At one point he makes the bizarre claim that a person experiencing a flow state has no sense of self, giving actors and dancers as an example. I'm baffled as to how a person so involved with Buddhism could make this error. This would imply that people in flow states experience a total absence of suffering or stress during such periods, which is silly. I hope what he meant to say (although there is no evidence that he grasps this point) is that the self-sense manifests on a spectrum. We can have a gross sense of self or a very subtle and refined one, and where we are on this spectrum fluctuates with our levels craving and clinging. The dancer mid-performance may have shed the coarser layers, which is lovely, but they've not gone the whole way.
To learn to go the whole way you have to practice, and Professor Garfield's book likely won't help you with that. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · 2 comments · see review
Jul 23, 2022Kathryn Duncan rated it really liked it
I found this book enormously helpful for an essay that I'm writing. I think where it misses somewhat is in audience. Garfield explicitly notes that he wrote for a general audience. Granting that the ideas here are paradoxical and complex, the text still can be too difficult to process at times. It's worth the effort, but it still reads too much like it's meant for an academic audience. (Note that I technically am an academic audience though my Ph.D. is in English, not philosophy, and I've read a lot and written about Buddhism.) Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True, for example, tackles equally complex ideas with much more accessible prose. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jun 23, 2022Andrea rated it liked it
It’s clear that the author is an academic.
Most of this book is like listening to a postulating professor debating with himself over philosophical complexities that are highly specified and specialized. It reminded me of writing my thesis, the way we use the words of other people to support our own suggestions.
I didn’t dislike it.
I think I’ll come back to it and re-read it and maybe I’ll feel like this book was only written to fulfill an academician’s required annual publishing demands or maybe I’ll use it for reference to read from the people who are mostly quoted. Either way this book is a fine addition to my library. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jun 24, 2022Jessica Zu rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
enlightening!
a must-read for anyone who cares about our humanity, i.e., our shared personhood!
a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our lonely planet.
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jun 06, 2022Hugh Simonich rated it it was amazing
Shelves: favorites
This clearly lays out the argument for a very difficult abstract concept - the intuitive concept that the autonomous, independent self is a mere illusion. Instead, we are persons - interdependently constructed by our participation in a shared world. Jay Garfield demonstrates his authority on this subject with his clear and concise philosophical arguments that build throughout the book. I wish he went on, at least doubling the size of this book, but he was apparently pressured to keep this as brief as it was. Overall, a fantastic book. Loved it. (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Jul 22, 20221potato added it
I am grateful for this book. I offer my various reactions here:
On the first few chapters:
As someone who doesn't read much philosophy, the style comes off as bloated by being circular, while also feeling rushed. The first half of the book doesn't read like what it seems to want to be: a validation of the instinct to posit a self, an overview of traditions that explicitly posit it, an accessible review of those arguments, and a skillful counter for each. Instead it feels like a slog for me to get to the implications of non-self, which I already accepted going in.
It is interesting that he doesn't include the Ship of Theseus or The Matrix in his explanations or summaries, but the analogies that he does make are well done.
On the rest:
I was so excited in the moment I saw that he was including the four divine virtues as a topic. Everyone should check out Christina Feldman's "Boundless Heart." He does not cite her, unfortunately, but his descriptions of the virtures were well-written enough that hopefully readers will seek further teachings.
In an odd moment at the end of the Ethics chapter, he seems to breeze past the "we're all just atoms, so why is anyone responsible for anything?" question (including in the footnotes...) Surely as a professor, he must be prepared for students who poke at this thorny issue, right? Maybe I didn't understand the writing.
In chapters 8 and 9, he labors to explain that social constructs are part of life, and that they and our bodies affect each other. He stresses that therefore a "social level of analysis" is necessary to understand "who we are, and what our lives are." Feminism offered this insight to us decades ago, I think, with its charge that the "personal is political"; hopefully there will come a day when this is recognized by anybody.
While I think his final sentence has some choices of words that are unfortunately out of sync with certain zeitgeists, the book ends strongly.
In none of the chapters does Garfield give any focus to validation. Validation is a crucially important interpersonal skill in this book's context. In this world where the Buddha lived, in a world that is not yet post-self, we all should be able to validate the pain of others who are suffering due to reification of selves, without validating those beliefs. We should seek teachings on how to do validation; Karyn Hall Ph.D. has a good article on the Psychology Today website, for example. In "How to Be an Adult in Relationships," David Richo describes how validation works from infancy to adulthood, in a self-help context (I am still reading through it.) To eschew validation is to invite an uncompassionate skeptics' movement a la "The God Delusion." This is not remotely Garfield's intention, to be sure, but great caution is warranted here. (less)
flagLike · see review
May 25, 2022Greg Talbot rated it really liked it
Reapproachment continues to be a struggle. The promised roaring 20s of dancefloor action and free love appears more like a furrowed huddle of alienated survivors playing dungeons and dragons. Dogged conflict around masks, mandates, distancing, distance learning, policing, and teaching materials are a painful reminder that unity from our crises is not a given. Our identity and politics shaped by our intensity to the conflicts. Rancor and divide are deep-seeded; speech itself is under threat of silencing from cancellations, slaps, violence and illiberal thought.
In "Losing Ourselves: Learning to Live Without a Self" the primal conviction (p.9) of self-hood is critiqued, our illusion of self is replaced with our personhood. Jay L. Garfield, visiting Buddhist studies professor at the Harvard Divinity school, argues “I believe that the illusion that we are selves undermines ethical cultivation and moral vision, and that coming to understand ourselves as persons facilitates a more salutory, mature moral engagement with those around us’.
Arguments from classical Indian philosopher Candrakirti for unity of self are stripped away as psychological processes. Santideva, another classical Indian philosopher, writes of the underlying egocentricity from the dualism of self. Placing ourselves in the center of the moral universe disenables true friendship, care and imparitality (p.24). Scottish renaissance philosopher David Hume, perhaps the ultimate skeptic, found the unity of self to be an nothing more than the sensations and reactions of phenomena. Garfield, a masterful writer and expert on philosophy, shares thought experiments that question the unity of self, the dualistic nature of self and object and free will that separates us from animals.
One of the joy and challenges of this book is the language provided to understand the terrain of identity. In the introduction, Garfield concedes some readers will see the “self” and “person” argument as distinction without a difference. But the concepts alone are worth considering: synchronic vs diachronic self unity; pre-reflective self awareness; and supervenience. Given that so many readers, myself included, have a reflective sense of true unified self (an atman or soul), this book works with metaphor, stories, reasoning and thought experiments to challenge the fundamental “for-me-ness” of lived experience
There are two areas I wish Garfield would explore more. First, Garfield is an avowed student of the Buddhist dharmic practices, and clearly these ethical teachings are reflected in the last third of the book. The space to explore the “no self” with regard to religious faith seemed reasonable. Another book by his Harvard colleague, Richard Wright’s “Why Buddhism is True”, reveals the overlays of scientific truth with buddhist dharmic teachings. I would suspect that there is a transcending self/soul/atman in some of these faiths that Garfield would reject. But given that “reason” does not hold the prized status in post-modern thought, I thought there might be more to say about the parallels of a spiritual/religious practice and the “no-self” experienced in flow states like prayer, meditation, hallucinogens and elevated experience
The second area that would be interesting to explore is the lack of selfhood in Artificial Intelligence and social media. Sentience may not exist yet for weak AI, but comparison between the artificial neuronal brain and the biological neuronal brain could be an interesting exploration of self and personhood. Also, with our internet profiles that disembody and remove contextual speech cues, the promise of identifying with a personhood in these realms seems to not have the same promise of the “no-self” aware person. We engage this virtual space and with it a mode of ourselves get here..maybe just another narrative self though.
Borrowing a line from the late existentialist professor Robert C. Solomon, from the University of Texas, there is just something that is missing when we take away our agency from our identity.Talking about a human being as a confluence of forces or an actor in their narrative prevents us from seeing the choice and responsibility that makes life meaningful. I concede the points Garfield makes, that our ego-self is limited, reactive and often unethical. But I would also argue that life is about transcending our self. The passions, which can leave us inspired or foolish, can only be experienced by this consciousness. This language of self-ownership provide some sense of purpose in this chaotic world. Illusion or not, this fixed consciosuness is our steady rock in a sea of change. (less)
flag2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Jul 03, 2022David rated it really liked it
This is a deep dive into the philosophical and scientific reasons of why the "self" doesn't exist. I found parts of this book dry and academic and it would suit those who want to wrestle with the intricacies of this topic.
The author distinguishes between the concepts of self and person. While we don't have a self, we are persons which are socially/environmentally constructed. In this way, we are not separate from others and the world.
This is a powerful Buddhist idea which has deep practical application which I found missing in this book. I had hoped that the author would have spent a bit more time on how to apply this knowledge that the self is an illusion.
As a result, the tagline of the book "learning to live without a self" is misleading. It should be changed to "learning why we don't have a self". (less)
flag1 like · Like · comment · see review
Aug 14, 2022Maria Isabel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Ready for a ride on the roller coaster?
This is a must read book, but not before one is ready to take a ride on the roller coaster of facing the discovery of being so profoundly wrong about what it is being that one and unrepeatable self (?) fully known only to oneself.
I ended up having lost all notion of “me” only to find myself still complete, and even more so, at the end.
I so hope that having been shown the illusion, I will, at least, be able to teach myself to keep the illusion on my conscience as much as possible; meaning that I hope I can be reminded at every possible turn that I’m taking seriously a mere illusion.
(less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Aug 04, 2022Mark rated it it was ok · review of another edition
1 note & 15 highlights
I enthusiastically bought this book after hearing the author’s interview with Sam Harris. The concept that we don’t have selves is a difficult but intriguing one for me, and I was hoping this book could help. Perhaps I need to reread it. The author didn’t shed any new light or present any new insights into nondualism, other than the idea that we are socially constructed. The book, however, is filled with many philosophical arguments which I couldn’t follow. I feel substantially unenlightened (and somewhat dumb) after this puzzling read. (less)
flagLike · comment · see review
Jun 06, 2022Ashley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
One of the most accessible books on the self I've ever read - and of course real world application of why it's important is the real kicker. Recommended. (less)
flagLike · see review
Aug 17, 2022John rated it really liked it
An illuminating book, but could’ve used another round of copy editing before publication.
flagLike · comment · see review
Jul 16, 2022Joseph Patterson rated it it was amazing
Thoroughly selfless.
flagLike · comment · see review
Jul 04, 2022Rowan Holyer rated it really liked it
Essential reading for anyone interested in Buddhism.
flagLike · comment · see review
====
Top reviews from the United States
Dan Baer
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the most effective self-help book: there is no self!Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
I so enjoyed this book. Chapters one through five "slay" the illusion of the self, and chapters six through ten explain how relinquishing the illusion of selfhood and replacing it with the reality of being a person "embodied, embedded, and enactive" in/with/as the world moves us toward a happier, healthier, shared life. I'd like to include a couple quotations to help prospective readers get a taste of Garfield's thought and writing:
"To understand one's selflessness is to understand not that one is nonexistent, but that one is a real person in constant interaction with everything else in one's environment, a causally interdependent sequence of psychophysical processes. And it is to understand that the identity we do have – our personal identity – is not achieved alone, but instead is achieved only in immersed interaction with the rest of the world we inhabit. The myriad things – the entities of the empirical world – therefore do not constitute an independent reality with which we interact, but instead constitute a reality as sub-processes of the causal unfolding of the universe" (pp 112-3).
"To believe that we have selves is to succumb to a natural illusion, just as we succumb naturally to optical illusions. We are neither substantial subjects who take the world as object, nor free actors who intervene in an otherwise law-governed natural world. Instead, we are persons: hyper-social organisms embedded in the world, in open causal interaction with our environments and with each other; complex causal continua who play complex social roles" (p 170).
It's hard not to get the sense that Yuval Harari, Robert Sapolsky, Riccardo Manzotti, Jay Garfield, and no doubt numerous other intellectuals of diverse backgrounds seem to be converging on what might be a Copernican moment for humanity's understanding of what it is.
14 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
"lparks0111"
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book on the concept of no-selfReviewed in the United States on June 29, 2022
Verified Purchase
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Dr. Garfield. This book is the best explanation of the Buddhist concept of no-self for Westerners that I've come across. I've never understood before and now I do. Garfield deftly explains why competing philosophies are incorrect and, as if he could read my mind, answers exactly the questions I had at exactly the right times. I appreciated his referring to other philosophers throughout the book, particularly those of ancient thought like Shantideva, Dogen and Nagarjuna. I will read again and again, and recommend to others.
5 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Jessica Zu
5.0 out of 5 stars enlightening!Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2022
Verified Purchase
a must-read for anyone who cares about our humanity, i.e., our shared personhood!
a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our lonely planet.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Dan Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars Transforming KnowledgeReviewed in the United States on June 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
Understanding the difference between a self and a person is critically important and the author Jay Garfield has written a very good book about the difference and why it is so important for us to understand and accept.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Klaus D.
3.0 out of 5 stars Really?Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
Received it today and what a surprise... the package was just fine so it already left office like this. Definitely should check on the process.
HelpfulReport abuse
AltCountry007
5.0 out of 5 stars Audible; Making Sense podcastReviewed in the United States on June 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
I would appreciate an Audible edition of this book, especially if Dr. Garfield is the reader. I strongly recommend the brilliant conversation between Dr. Garfield and Sam Harris on the Making Sense podcast (# 282).
29 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
Carmen1959
5.0 out of 5 stars great bookReviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
helps clarify non-duality and why that matters.
2 people found this helpful
HelpfulReport abuse
J. C. Leissring
3.0 out of 5 stars A Buddhist MetaphysicReviewed in the United States on August 28, 2022
I had hopes, based upon the sub-title, that there might be some empiricism lurking in the prose, but I found none. Carl Sagan, the popular astrophysicist once suggested that “We have designed our civilization based on science and technology and at the same time arranged things so that almost no one understands anything at all about science and technology. This is a clear prescription for disaster” The problem with this book is not its breadth, but rather its narrowness. The book was written in 2022 and yet has nothing to say about the advances made in cognitive neuroscience, so it looks like the author belongs to a group that does not understand the implications of these advances. And, perhaps, because I am a scientist of a kind, I found almost nothing to guide me, no testing of these ideas presented and no references of significance to individuals who have been trying to understand the nature of the mind/consciousness and of course, self-consciousness. I dislike providing negative reviews; in the spirit of the philosopher R. G. Collingwood, who defined metaphysical ideas as the absolute presuppositions of the asserter. Thus, this is metaphysical text, grounded in Buddhist religious presuppositions; not recommended for scientists.
HelpfulReport abuse
See all reviews
Top reviews from other countries
Adrian Bailey
5.0 out of 5 stars A good additionReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2022
Verified Purchase
Interesting philosophical arguments for no-self. Clear writing while serious enough for a layperson. A useful resource probably best combined with past and future studies. It would be interesting to see a follow-up work digging more deeply into practical ethical implications.
Report abuse
michael mortimer
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliantReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
cogent, precise and profoundly useful. thank you for writing this book.
One person found this helpfulReport abuse
Gregorio Tomassi
4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking!Reviewed in Mexico on June 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is a thought provoking book with a convincing discussion about the idea that while the person in us exists, the idea of self and free will are illusions.
I would have appreciated a clearer structure and simpler arguments in the section devoted to prove false the ideas proposed about the reality of self. I still find it difficult to link the community values as a necessary consequence of us humans trashing the self illusion.
Report abuse
