Klairung Iso

The article explores how platforms like Google and ChatGPT, which claim omniscience and wisdom-like attributes, prompt philosophical questions. It revisits religious perspectives on omniscience and their influence on the pursuit of wisdom. The article suggests that while Google may offer compartmentalized omniscience based on user preferences, ChatGPT’s factual accuracy challenges its characterization as omniscient. Nonetheless, ChatGPT can still help humans progress toward wisdom, by integrating the co-creation of knowledge between humans and the unfolding of divine knowledge from Process Thought and Buddhist epistemology insights. Notably, instead of offering definitive answers, the paper is written with a sense of deep humility to encourage ongoing inquiry and investigation.

This paper analyzes the concept of general causation and the concept of kamma. It argues that the concept of kamma does not fit with the concept of moral education for three reasons. First, general causation explains causal relations using substances and the idea of temporal connections as a basis. Second, reward and punishment in moral learning also work with the concept of general causation. However, the skillful and unskillful actions (kusala/akusala kamma) parallel reward and punishment in the natural flow of kammic events. Here, a temporal gap between kamma and vipāka (action and result) makes the relations unknowable, notably when correlated with punabbhava (rebecoming or rebirth). Third, Theravāda Buddhist metaphysics of paṭiccasamuppāda (dependent co-arising) holds that all existents flow in co-arising condition. Since reality is not seen as persons and substances, it makes the fruit of kamma seems arbitrary and unknowable.