Chapter 1: The Self in Western and Oriental/Eastern Thought Flashcards
He believed that the body constitutes individuality.
Thomas Aquinas
It is generally acknowledged to be “imbued with a style of thinking based on dichotomy and binary opposition.”
Western tradition
The tendency to see reality as an aggregate of parts.
Analytic
It is an observer separate and distinct from external subjects.
Self
It involved the tendency toward unitary explanations of phenomena and closed-system view of “self” as modeled after a unitary, omnipotent power.
Monotheism
It is a quality of western thinking where self-expression and self-actualization are important ways of establishing who one is, as well as finding satisfaction in the world.
Individualism
This thinking tends to discredit explanations that do not use analytic-deductive modes of thinking.
Materialistic/rationalistic
It strives to find and prove “the truth.”
Western society
It accepts the truth as given and is more interested in finding the balance.
Eastern society
It defines the “Me” concept as the eternal reality of the universal truth: self liberation through getting rid of false “Me” and discovering the true “Me.”
Eastern philosophy
“Me” is here and now. The true “Me” in every human being is a part of the Devine that need to become apparent. True “Me” is given and doesn’t have to be cognizable.
Western philosophy
These are the earliest religious writings in the East which formed the Hindu philosophy and dharma.
Vedas
Its chants and hymns illustrates the eastern mindset of a nondual universe but rather a creation that is completely unified with the creator, with no distinction.
Vedas
It is described as the true nature of humans which is the divine universal consciousness encompassing the universe.
Brahman
One of its main points is “change your perception of the world to perceive the Brahman in oneself and in others.”
Hinduism
In Buddhist traditions, it is not an entity, a substance, or essence, but rather a dynamic process; independent and ever changing.
Self
Often defined as “no-self or no-soul”, it is a concept that the sense of being a permanent autonomous “self” is an illusion.
Anatta
It is the teaching that there is no eternal, unchanging “self/soul” inhabiting our bodies or living our lives.
Anatta
This tradition holds the human being’s inborn erroneous view of “self” as an enduring entity is the cause of his/her suffering because he/she tries to hold on to that which is in constant flux and has no existence outside of shifting contexts.
Buddhist tradition
It takes a great interest in how people’s experience their “self” rather than just their abstract idea of it because its practices are designed to lead a new experience to life.
Buddhism
The quest for the “self” in terms of substance, of spirit, of body, or essence does not exist.
Confucianism
It presented the idea that every person is born with four beginnings which could be explained in Western terms as a “pre-self” or a “potential self”.
Confucian philosophy
The four beginnings based on Confucian philosophy.
*Heart of compassion that leads to JEN
*Heart of righteousness that leads to YI
*Heart of propriety that leads to LI
*Heart of wisdom that leads to CHIH
It means goodwill, sympathy towards others, politeness, and generosity.
Jen
It means rightness and the respect of duty (you must respect your position as a guardian toward nature and humanity).
Yi
It means having the right to practice propriety in all that you do.
Li
It involves not demonstrating your inner attitude in your outer expression.
Propriety
It means wisdom which is expressed by putting jen, yi, and li into practice.
Chih
In Confucian perception, it is an achieved state of moral excellence rather than a given human condition.
Personality
It rejects a hierarchical view of the self, society, or cosmos. It does not disregard the “self” as an extension of social relationships.
Taoism
It is an extension of the cosmos.
Taoism
Regarded as a mystic of unmatched brilliance in China; gave an explicit negation of the centrality of the “self.”
Chuang-tzu
“The perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has no achievement; the true sage has no name.”
Chuang-tzu
Its conception of selfhood entails conscious self-transformation leading to the attributes of a balanced life in harmony with both nature and society.
Chuang-tzu
The Arabic word for “self” written in the Holy Qur’an.
Nafs
It pertains to the psyche or the soul.
Nafs
It is something, which has to be nurtured and self-regulated, so that it can progress into becoming “good” through its thoughts and actions.
Nafs/self
In Islamic tradition, it is used both in the individualistic and collective sense.
Self
They believe that they should assert and stand up for themselves.
Americans
These cultures emphasize the moral worth of the individual.
Individualistic cultures
They encourage asserting one’s goals and desires, and highly value independence and self-reliance.
Individualists
They see each other as only loosely linked, and they value personal goals over group interests.
Individualists
These cultures base their values and self-concept in a collectivist view.
Eastern cultures
It refers to the mental processes that perceive one’s own traits or behaviors.
Private
It refers to the generalized view of self, such as the perception of how others view you.
Public
It refers to the view of self in a collective concept.
Collective
It is often rendered as “proper conduct” or “propriety” which was originally denoted as court rites (rituals) performed to sustain social and cosmic order.
Confucian concept of LI
It is a life-long commitment to learning.
Self-development
