PACS 164A Lecture 5: The Vedanta as Old/New Paradigm - The Gita on Human Action and Life’s Purpose

In this lecture, Professor Michael Nagler explains that the “dominant paradigm is a paradigm of scarcity,“ and illustrates, through example, how international conflict often boils down to the disparity in “need vs. greed.“ Professor Nagler also discusses relevant concepts including material versus consciousness physics, competition versus cooperation biology, and the violent versus the nonviolent outcome. Professor Nagler also introduces a number of practices and ideals present in Hindu philosophy including “Vedanta,“ “Dharma,“ “Karma,“ and the work of “the Gita.“ Lecture Transcript: 0:04:32 Mirror Neurons and Scarcity 0:08:44 Round Table Conference 1931 0:10:53 Persuasion vs Coercion 0:15:32 Paradigm of Abundance 0:18:26 Investigation vs Injury 0:21:32 Behavioral Inconsistency 0:25:06 The Matter of Paradigms