Mindful Decentering, and Attention as Selection for Action
Abstract
This article examines the compatibility between one of the central phenomena discussed in the literature on the theory and practice of secular mind‑ fulness, decentering, and one of the most influential contemporary philosophi‑ cal accounts of attention—namely, Wayne Wu’s theory of attention as selection for action. I begin by presenting and critically examining Victor Lange’s recent attempt to show that decentering constitutes a counterexample to Wu’s account. I then argue that Lange’s conception of decentering is inadequate, and propose an alternative understanding according to which decentering indeed serves as a counterexample to the view of attention as selection for action. Finally, I outline possible directions for further philosophical research on attention that accommo‑ date the findings of secular mindfulness, particularly those concerning decentering.
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