Oriental Metaphysics

This course explores the “Oblivion of Metaphysics” theme advanced by Heidegger in dialogue with Oriental Metaphysics. By 'Oriental,' we refer to its Greco-Latin etymological origins: derived from the Greek word 'ēōs,' meaning 'dawn,' which geographically denotes the direction of the sunrise associated with the East, and the Latin word 'orientalis,' meaning 'Eastern' or 'of the East.' The first two weeks begin with an introductory lecture on the decline of metaphysics described by crucial philosophers such as Spengler, Guenon, etc., followed by five in-depth seminars, each focusing on one of Heidegger’s metaphysics essays designated in the required readings.

The following five weeks will introduce five Oriental traditions: Huayan Buddhism, Taoism, Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, and Theurgy. Ultimately, the course addresses two fundamental questions: 1) Is the Enlightenment's critique of metaphysics justified? 2) If so, is Occidental metaphysics exempt from this critique? The students' answers to these two questions will determine their performance in this course.