Eastern Philosophy vs. Western: main differences

Establish differences between Eastern philosophy vs. the Western one makes sense, since they are two dissimilar forms of thought. First of all, they do not share the same origin of origin. The East was characterized by a multiplicity of reflections coming from India, China and Japan. For its part, this discipline in the West had its beginnings in ancient Greece.

Furthermore, the approach of both philosophies is different. So, Eastern philosophy focuses on the cultivation and search for a more spiritual attitude that transcends the plane of the material world in which we live.

While Western philosophy is predominantly rational and dual. The inequalities between the two do not end here, we invite you to learn more about them in this article.

Vision of reality: unity vs. plurality

Eastern and Western philosophy conceive reality in different ways. In Eastern philosophy, the unity of the world prevails over multiplicity. and diversity of our environment. This type of thinking maintains that there is a single originating principle from which everything comes. That is, each thing in our world is the product of a single principle.

According to the book East and West by Luis Racionero, this is called unity or cosmic consciousness. This term was described by the Canadian psychiatrist Richard Maurice Bucke as a subjective consciousness of the cosmos, life and the universe. Typically, this unity is usually represented through the circle, which symbolizes perfection and beauty, such as yin and yang.

For its part, Western philosophy is characterized by being plural and dualistic. In other words, it makes a separation between two opposites: body-soul, good-evil, individual-society, to name a few.

Non-duality

As already said, Eastern philosophy is distinguished by being a thought that denies duality. A magazine article Endoxa argues that such a conception implies deny the division of reality into two contrary and antagonistic categories. In this way, the plurality of the world affirmed by Western philosophy is rejected.

By doing this, the differentiation between subject and object typical of the West is affected. Since, as we said, Eastern philosophy considers that the world in which we live is a unity in which There is no such antagonism between human beings and the objects that surround us. Considered in this way, the absence of duality can lead us towards that principle that is the origin of everything.

Vision of the human being: illusion vs. individualism

In this contest between eastern philosophy vs. Western, there are different ways of conceiving the human being. In the case of the East, they consider that Thinking of the individual differently from others and from the unity of the universe is an illusion. Furthermore, they maintain that the idea of ​​person is the cause of all the evils of human life.

Instead, Western philosophy supports the concept of subject and individuality. According to this conception, human beings are distinguished from each other, they are individual beings. So much so that they themselves are aware of their distinction in relation to other realities.

What is your method? Interior experience vs. logic

There is a big difference between the method used by Eastern philosophy vs. the western one. The first seeks illumination and inner experience. This means that they want to achieve self-awareness of the truth of the soul. How is it achieved? Through different methods, the best known are yoga and nirvana.

Thanks to yoga, self-control of the body and concentration is achieved. For its part, nirvana belongs to Buddhist philosophy and seeks enlightenment through continued mental abstraction. What is intended is a great emptying of mental content to reach the truth of the reality of things.

On the other hand, Western philosophy is the heir of Aristotelian logical thought. He uses universal concepts, looking for logical connections between them. This reflection was used as a philosophical instrument, being quite rational and a guide for Western thought.

Meeting points between both philosophies

Despite the great differences that exist between Eastern philosophy vs. Western, we can also name their similarities. One of them is that Both modes of thought pursue knowledge of reality through mental exercise, leaving aside sensitive elements.

Likewise, this pair of philosophical traditions They concentrate on reflecting on an ultimate reality or the absolute bottom of things that human beings capture in their environment. Likewise, they are concerned with achieving happiness, joy and self-realization.

Different thoughts, but united

As it is, we are faced with a different thought, but it has its common points. On the one hand, in The East predominates spirituality, the relationship between man and nature; also the transcendence of the human being in relation to the world in which he lives.

In The West cultivated rational and systematic reflection on the individual’s environment. This shapes how we think and act in life. However, we can learn from both philosophies, thus enriching our existence.

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