Wilson versus Richard

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews and compares the work of Edmund Wilson and Mathieu Ricard. The paper takes a look at Wilson's book, 'Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge' and Mathieu Ricard's 'The Monk and the Philosopher'. According to the paper, Wilson believes that science must win out over more romantic understandings of the purpose of human existence. The paper then goes on to discuss how Ricard suggests the possibility of detachment of the mind from the body through the type of philosophical or religious practice that Wilson regards as futile, or at very least, less interesting and useful than science.

From the Paper:

"In contrast, to Wilson, Mathieu Ricard offer the more idealistic but perhaps comforting notion that the physical matter of the brain and mind are not synonymous. Ricard suggests the possibility of detachment of the mind from the body through the type of philosophical or religious practice that Wilson regards as futile, or at very least, less interesting and useful than science. Through meditation and achieving a higher sense of consciousness, the mind can control the physical aspects of the human body, suggests Ricard. Ricard believes that there is more to the brain than neurotransmitters and synapses. The human species cannot be subsumed into the sum total of its DNA. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Revel, Francois Mathieu Ricard. The Monk and the Philosopher. New York: Schocken, 2000.
• Wilson, Edward O. Consilience--The Unity of Knowledge. New York: Knopf, 1998.

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