Self 

by eilis ward

Published by Cork University Press (2021)  

ISBN: 9781782054870  

reviewed by Barbara Dowds  

Self contrasts the concept of the self in the neoliberal world with the non-self of Buddhist thought. It details the attributes of the successful neoliberal subject under the acronym of CARRPP: the individual who is competitive, autonomous, resilient, responsibilised, perfectible and positive. It shows how much of self-optimising ‘therapy culture’ (as distinct from the actual practice of psychotherapy) and uses of secularised mindfulness support the ideology of neoliberal capitalism in attributing mental disorder or unhappiness (and their solutions) to the individual rather than to an increasingly atomised and uncaring society.  

Thus, employees blame themselves for being inefficient or unhappy when their depression is a sign of the exploitative and precarious nature of their employment and their society. Ward introduces the Buddhist concept of non-self as an alternative to such hyper-individualism. Non-self refers to self that is neither fixed nor individual, but rather is a process that depends on ‘myriad relationalities’ past and present and therefore is ‘irreducibly social’. This ‘dependent origination’ of self (or non-self) is elegantly and patiently explained. Ward corrects the common misconception that Buddhism is about transcendence beyond the human condition. It is not; it is, she claims, about connection, and is therefore the antidote to western individualism and narcissism. The liberation of non-self arises from being open to receive life in all its fullness when the cravings and obsessions of the ego have been released.  

Ward avoids the idealising trap of the new convert – in fact she is a long-term practitioner of Zen – and shows how Buddhist principles can themselves be subverted to dark ends. Counter to this, she also shows how Buddhism has been used reparatively in peace-keeping in post-Khmer Rouge Cambodia. This remarkable chapter describes how peace-keepers who have truly inhabited the idea of dependent origination are able to see that the torturers no less than the tortured are part of the same system. This enables them to move towards understanding and even to regard with kindness those who murdered their families and are still unrepentant.  

A major theme running through this book concerns how vested interests hijack and manipulate positive qualities, values and activities for their own ends. For example, autonomy and self-responsibility are not problematic in themselves; but when the dominant narrative excludes counterbalancing relational qualities of interdependence and care, then we do have a problem. This is the callous world of neoliberal capitalism. In south-east Asia, Buddhist ideas of non-self and acceptance of what is have been appropriated to enable genocide in Cambodia and other Buddhist countries, while the Japanese military made use of the intense concentration learned from meditation to focus their wartime violence. Just as self is dependent on myriad relationalities, in an ethical and humane society no individual value can stand on its own but is part of a network of interdependent values. Abstracting any value from its network enables it to be abused. Likewise, practices such as psychotherapy and meditation can become stripped of their ethical core by being instrumentalised to distract from the need for systemic change.  

This is a deceptively scholarly work, disguised in a highly readable form. I loved it, both the chapters about which I knew quite a lot and especially those of which I knew little. Ward’s background in sociology, politics and philosophy, her research into peace studies, her commitment to Zen practice, and her counselling training generate a unique combination. The book is beautifully written, and complex and subtle distinctions are clearly delineated. It flows easily, with her argument illustrated with pertinent personal stories and observations from her time as a lecturer in NUIG.  

A note about Self for therapists: Ward’s book does not address the complex topic of the tensions between psychotherapy and Buddhist practice. The former sees the need to build a stronger sense of self whereas meditation can be aimed at eliminating the self. Practitioners of both, such as Jack Engler or Brant Cortright, argue that you have to have a self before you can give it up. Thus, for clients such as borderlines with an underdeveloped self, it is crucial to go down the therapy route before committing to Buddhist practice. Leaving this aside, I highly recommend this book because it highlights and provides alternatives to some of the common psychological cul de sacs (CARRPP) in which we in the developed west have become trapped. 

IAHIP 2022 - INSIDE OUT 96 - Spring 2022