Name: Thinking about Thinking: Lessons from Philosophy, Religion and Cognitive Science
Start: 2025-11-16T15:00:00+05:45
End: 2025-11-16T16:30:00+05:45
Location: Post Box 13470, 27 Jeet Jung Marg Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal 44600

Research Seminar Series
Title:
Thinking about Thinking: Lessons from Philosophy, Religion and Cognitive Science
Speaker:
Bed Prasad Giri, PhD, Former Professor of English, Nepal Open University and Former Dean, Lumbini Buddhist University
Date, Time and Venue:
16 November 2025/३० कात्तिक २०८२ (आइतबार, दिउँसो ३ बजे)
Martin Chautari Seminar Hall, Thapathali, Kathmandu
LIVE:
www.fb.com/martinchautari.f
www.youtube.com/mchautari
Abstract:
This talk gathers a variety of insights from Western philosophical and cognitive-psychological sources as well as Eastern religious traditions to shed light on the nature and meaning of thinking. It attempts to address the following questions: How are thoughts different from facts and beliefs? How are they related to reasons and emotions? How do certain thoughts lead to happiness while others to suffering? Why do we resort to different systems of thinking at different times? Can we choose our thoughts? What are common fallacies of reasoning or logical errors? What are the dispositions of a careful or critical thinker? The talk covers a large interdisciplinary ground and is appropriate for a scholarly audience.
About the speaker:
Bed Prasad Giri has a PhD in English Language and Literature from the University of Virginia, USA, where he was a visiting scholar in 2015–2016. Dr. Giri taught in English, Comparative Literature and Writing programs at Dartmouth College, USA, before returning to Nepal in 2016. He worked as a Professor and Dean at Nepal Open University and Lumbini Buddhist University respectively before retiring from full-time work.