Research Interests

Christian's research interests are in the philosophy of mind, phenomenology of perception, naturalized epistemology, Buddhist philosophy, Hellenistic philosophy and cross-cultural hermeneutics. He is the author of Perceiving Reality: Consciousness, Intentionality, and Cognition in Buddhist Philosophy (OUP, 2012) (available also through Oxford Scholarship Online). The central idea of this book is that perception should be understood as a practical engagement with the objects, situations and events of our lives, and thus as something that we do rather than something that happens to us. The book offers a sustained argument that Buddhist philosophers, in particular those who follow the tradition of inquiry initiated by Dignāga and Dharmakīrti, have much to contribute to current debates about perceptual consciousness, attention, self-awareness, and intentionality. He is currently working on his second book on a reflexive theory of perceptual awareness, tentatively titled The Reflexive Gaze: Phenomenology and Buddhist Philosophy of Mind.

Recent Publications

• "Taking the Intentionality of Perception Seriously: Why Phenomenology is Inescapable," Philosophy East and West 65 (3).
• "Reason and Experience in Buddhist Epistemology," in Emmanuel, S., ed. A Companion to Buddhist Philosophy, Wiley-Blackwell, 2013.
• "Dignāga and Dharmakīrti on Perception and Self-Awareness," in Powers, J., ed. The Buddhist World, Routledge, 2013.
• "Mind in Indian Buddhist Philosophy," The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2009 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)
• "Naturalism and Intentionality: A Buddhist Epistemological Approach," Asian Philosophy, 19/3 (November 2009): 239-264.
• "Buddhist Foundationalism and the Phenomenology of Perception," Philosophy East and West, 59:4 (October 2009): 409-439.

Rough Drafts

• How Thoughts Feel: The Cross-modality of Cognitive Phenomenology
• Embodied Cognition and the Intentionality of Perception

Book Reviews

• Review of Owen Flanagan, The Bodhisattva's Brain: Buddhism Naturalized, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews (2012.01.06).
• Review of Simon P. James, Zen Buddhism and Environmental Ethics, Sophia (April 2008) 47, 1: 75-77.
• Review of David E. Cooper and Simon P. James, Buddhism, Virtue, and Environment, Sophia (July 2007) 46, 2: 207-209.
• "A Restricted Interpretation of Dharmakīrti's Philosophy," Review of John Dunne, Foundations of Dharmakīrti's Philosophy, H-Buddhism Reviews, March 2006.
• A Review Essay of Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them? A Scientific Dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Journal of Buddhist Ethics 11/1 (2004): 98-102.