Siddhartha Socratic Seminar

Part Two

  1. At the end of Part One, Siddhartha comes to the conclusion that the truth cannot be found through teachings because they are a distraction; he “will learn from [him]self the secret of Siddhartha” through experience (39). Part Two begins with Siddhartha seeing the physical world for the first time without distrust and “a fleeting and illusive veil before his eyes” (45). His state of consciousness is changing as his perceptions increase. David Hume’s theory of self (“bundle theory”) and Immanuel Kant's unity of apperception(synthesis of all perceptions into a whole) contend that “the self, as the persistent feature of human experience, is not itself experienced but instead unifies a person’s experience (The self as related to all possible experience might well be an apt characterization of Atman).” How does this idea connect to Siddhartha’s dream about Govinda and the breast? Bring in other philosophers’ ideas on consciousness. How do Siddhartha’s experiences with Kamala, Kamaswami, and others connect? How are Siddhartha’s perceptions enhanced or skewed by “the art of thinking, waiting, fasting?” (75). In other words, how is Siddhartha’s state of consciousness changing? According to Siddhartha, what type of allocation of experience/perceptions should be made between the physical and spiritual worlds in order to optimize the state of consciousness? (Make sure to look forward to “By the River” as well.) Do you agree?
  1. “Samsara” is the daily round or grind of the normal everyday world (where triviality and repetition,the fabricated drama of life, are emphasized). “Enveloped by comfortable circumstances, Siddhartha hardly notices [the years] passing” (75). His spiritual awakening stays alive for some time just like the “potter’s wheel” but “has nearly come to a standstill” (76). Siddhartha has no close friends with the exception of Kamala, and “slowly the soul sickness of the rich crept over him” (78). Why is Siddhartha not able to prevent Samsara from obscuring his state of consciousness despite the depth of his spiritual experience? How has Samsara affected Kamala? How is Siddhartha partially to blame? Is Samsara by definition a life of isolating judgment? How does Albert Camus’ Meaning of Life apply ( Specifically, how does Samsara cause both Siddhartha and Kamala to define themselves by “the daisy theory” and “alienation of misidentification”? How does all this apply to yourself and the real world?
  1. When Siddhartha returns to the river, he is “full is full of misery, full of death; there [is] nothing left in the world that could attract him, that could give him pleasure and solace” (87). Siddhartha has reached the point, according to Camus, “when experience undermines you and you find yourself in an unfamiliar world, you are faced with the Absurd.” (Please read and annotate “The Myth of Sisyphus”) Why is Siddhartha able to “face the absurd”? What role does the river play? Why does it “know everything”? Why do most, including Siddhartha, ignore nature and “elude” or seek diversions as part of Samsara? How does all this apply to yourself and the real world?
  1. The concept of love plays a significant role in Siddhartha’s journey. (Please print and annotate “Philosophy of Love” article.) According to Plato, “Nature gives us a vision of goodness in love, which starts in sexual desire, but then ascends through stages of intellectual understanding to the point where it rises above life into a world of ideals.” Siddhartha says that he and Kamala cannot love but childlike people can (73). What does he mean? Is love for most just a manifestation of Samsara? Explain. Once he returns to the river and meets Govinda again, Siddhartha’s view on love seems to change. How and why? How does Siddhartha love his son at first? How and why does his love change? Is Siddhartha closer to enlightenment because of his love for his son even though the relationship ends with separation? In the end, is he able to love without judgment? Explain.
  1. Ultimately, Siddhartha learns that the key to enlightenment is living a life without judgment. (Please read definition of Deconstruction and read and annotate “Deconstruction” article.) Through his journey of deconstruction,hereaches a state of enlightenmentby challenging the “essential structure of knowledge and reality,” which enables him to unifyhis physical and spiritual worlds. Deconstruction is based on phenomenological (study of conscious experience) epoche (suspension of judgment). Why can dichotomies no longer exist in a system of non-judgment. How does Vasudeva exemplify phenomenological epoche? Do you agree with Hesse’s message that enlightenment can only be reached through non-judgment? Why or why not?

Please answer the Socratic seminar questions using the text, Eastern/Western philosophy, class discussions, and prior knowledge. Some of the questions have overlapping topics, so don’t worry about staying totally within a question.