Bringing a dialogue between Buddhist multilogicality and evolutionary science into the science classroom

In the context of the science versus creationism debate, Elizabeth Watts thoughtfully explores Buddhism as a model of compatibility between science and religion, and as inspiration for the pedagogical potential of mindfulness practices to promote student receptivity to scientific views of evolution. However, Watts focuses on modern Buddhist movements in the West that seek to align with rational scientific, materialist worldviews. To expand the dialogue, I focus instead on the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism, and discuss ways that Mahayana Buddhist and scientific views conflict rather than cohere on their onto-epistemological and axiological grounds and on specific points of evolutionary theory. Further, I argue that the history and doctrines of Buddhism reflect and allow for a multilogicality (Kincheloe in The power of difference in knowledge production: multilogicality in the bricolage and postformalism, 2007) or pluralism of views and ways of knowing, and that the drive to modernize Buddhism by erasing its differences from Western science has resulted in a loss of its characteristic pluralism and axiological commitments. Therefore, in considering Watts’ proposal for engaging secularized mindfulness practices in the evolutionary science classroom, I suggest a return to an understanding of their traditional basis in commitments to generating compassion and care, and a re-valuing of multilogicality and difference in teaching and learning; only then will we truly enrich and support the understanding and receptivity of all students to evolutionary science.