72 Non-Philosophy with John Ó Maoilearca

In an attempt to make more sense of non-Philosophy, and therefore non-Buddhism, I interview Irish philosopher and academic John O Maoilearca, the author of All Thoughts Are Equal, an exceptionally accessible introduction to the work of that pesky French philosopher Francois Laruelle, who we’ve been name dropping on the podcast for quite some time. Laruelle's work navigates an interesting paradox. On the one hand it can be incredibly straightforward, perhaps more so for those who have not been indoctrinated into philosophical thought. On the other, it presents a wide range of challenges to established philosophy and systematic modes of thought, including those found in Buddhism. We talk about non-philosophy as a heuristic in this regard, therefore as a kind of practice that people can engage in, and experience certain kinds of liberation through. A practice, I would argue, that compliments Buddhist ideals and fits perfectly well into the practicing life for those intrigued by post-traditional explorations of Buddhist materials, notions and practice techniques. In part, this episode acts as a preparation for grappling with non-Philosophy and so we unpack three of its most important concepts. Topics include; • What makes Laruelle’s non-Philosophy so radical and so intriguing for the world we live in today? • The Democracy of Thought. • What are we to make of the democratization in an age of alternative facts, and the difficulty of distinguishing narrative and reality in polarized times? • Decision, sufficiency, and The Real. • The most important contribution John’s book makes to Laurellian thought. • Where non-philosophy is heading. • Henri Bergson & Mysticism.

Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha).

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