My reading of the meaning of “no-self” is quite like yours. Personally I came to these conclusions through the phenomenological frame you summarize here. A phenomenological understanding of the phenomena described by the term “no-self” is crucial in getting to the true meaning of that term, in my opinion. The mediated understanding we can glean through conversation on this topic, though valuable, does not really get us closer to the meaning of that phrase. This is probably due to the structure of our language and it’s assumption of a self/actor, that has and does things.
I don’t really think it’s possible to grasp the concept outside of phenomenological investigation.
I’d like to add also something you braced with the “lack of continuity” of self. Lack of essential nature to self. When we consider all the things we think of as constituting “self” as relative phenomena devoid of essential nature, the argument for self is harder to buttress.
Kaj_Sotala
My reading of the meaning of “no-self” is quite like yours. Personally I came to these conclusions through the phenomenological frame you summarize here. A phenomenological understanding of the phenomena described by the term “no-self” is crucial in getting to the true meaning of that term, in my opinion. The mediated understanding we can glean through conversation on this topic, though valuable, does not really get us closer to the meaning of that phrase. This is probably due to the structure of our language and it’s assumption of a self/actor, that has and does things. I don’t really think it’s possible to grasp the concept outside of phenomenological investigation.
I’d like to add also something you braced with the “lack of continuity” of self. Lack of essential nature to self. When we consider all the things we think of as constituting “self” as relative phenomena devoid of essential nature, the argument for self is harder to buttress.