Anand Vaidya: How Vedic Thought Challenges Western Epistemology

Prof. Anand Vaidya explores Vedic philosophy, epistemology, and the nature of the ego, debating God, free will, mathematics, and Kripke’s ideas. The conversation weaves Indian theories of knowledge with modern metaphysics, logic, and the limits of rationality.

- 00:00:00 - Introduction
- 00:02:36 - Indian theories of knowledge and sentience
- 00:08:00 - Hedonic Tone and the mathematics of pleasure
- 00:18:15 - Exploration of non-dualism vs. unity with God & absence of subject-object distinction
- 00:35:00 - Misconceptions about non-dualism and the importance of rationality and logic
- 00:46:41 - Materialism in Indian philosophy
- 01:56:00 - Time, impermanence, and suffering
- 01:15:01 - Truth, falsity, and the ineffable
- 01:35:19 - Shankara philosophy and Dan Dennett's rebut against Mary
- 01:47:00 - Chomsky's vs. Kripke regarding reference and naming
- 02:03:00 - Metaphysically possible worlds
- 02:31:10 - Inflationary and deflationary approaches
- 02:47:07 - The Integration Challenge and the paradox of mathematical knowledge
- 02:57:06 - Donald Hoffman's perception theory
- 03:07:04 - Free will and determinism
- 03:21:43 - Grounding and grading of moral standing
- 03:33:35 - Modal logic
- 03:43:02 - Belief in belief

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RESOURCES:

- On Certification (Anand Vaidya): https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/5/article/89...
- Podcast w/ Susan Schneider on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmQXp...
- Podcast w/ Anand Vaidya on TOE: https://youtu.be/RNmusKn6t_U
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- Podcast w/ Susan Blackmore Λ Bernardo Kastrup on TOE: https://youtu.be/jrVnAWP2XEs
- Podcast w/ Dave Chalmers on TOE: COMING
- Raymond Smullyan's Dialogue on Free Will: https://youtu.be/P-jh6tRh3Jw
- Kripke's Naming and Necessity: https://amzn.to/3SbCNMZ

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.

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