U3 | Western Thought vis-a-vis Eastern Thought Flashcards
Central to the western traditions is their idea of the — which is their model of the soul.
psyche
Western tradition’s model of the soul
psyche
Western thought believes in the duality of — and the — which means that these two are separate entities.
body
soul
According to Plato, the soul inhabited the world of (1), while the body descended to the world of the (2).
- ideas
- sensible
The human person is composed of matter/body and form/soul.
Hylemorphic Theory
Who formulated the Hylemorphic Theory?
Aristotle
Matter: changeable
— : remains
Form
Who formulated the Dualistic View?
Rene Descrates
The body gathers information through the senses while it is the reason that processes all information and makes sense with experiences of the body.
Dualistic view
Descartes believed that the body and soul is fused in the —.
pineal gland
The western concept of the self is very much anchored on the individuality of the —.
psyche
According to the western concept, the individual self is always in a struggle to reconcile the connection between the — and the —
ideal self
limited self
The understanding of the self is a lifetime effort for —
selfperfection
The development of the self from — to — is given importance in this western way of thinking.
conception
death
The purpose of the self is to live the (1) of the soul. This selfperfection is called by the
Greeks as (2).
- ideals
- arete
The ultimate goodness, perfection, or excellence
arete (by the Greeks)
Other term for Easterners
Orientals
They have no issue on dualism. They see the self as one entity. The body and soul is always one self.
Easterners/ Orientals
Polytheistic religion from India
Hinduism
Hinduism - According to
the (1) the (2) is the true self because it is unchanging and it is identical to (3), the only one reality.We can realize true selfhood when we surrender to the all-embracing (3).
- Advaita monistic doctrine
- atman
- Brahman
Not a religion but a way of life
Buddhism
The tenets of Buddhism is based on the teaching of a man named (1) who is known as the “Buddha” or (2).
- Siddhartha Gautama
- “enlightened one”
Buddhism claims that there is no self because it is considered as nothing but an — and — of inner consciousness
evolution
transformation
There is no permanent self to talk about because everything is changing
Buddhism
Philosopher who ascertained Chinese civilization by establishing social order
Confucius
He believed that the society has primacy over the individual person.
Confucius
A person within the society who exhibits refinement and compassion.
The self
The ideal person for Confucius
junzi
What is junzi translated as?
a gentleman or superior man
The new self formed in the right education under the virtuous teacher as the role model.
junzi
Central in the educational formation of junzi
- humanistic learning
- refined personal manners
- capacity to govern the community wisely and with compassion.
It brings to life the virtues of the ancestors to the new order of the society.
junzi
The transmitter of the ancient virtues to the new world
Self
2 Important concepts of Confucian Philosophy
- Li
- Ren
What did the word “Li” originally meant?
sacrifice
It is better understood as a refined manner of spiritual rituals and sacrifices, and protocols in honoring the ancestors. The virtuous self must be able to practice the correct customary procedures and protocols governing all of life.
Li
The character of the self that sincerely shows compassion for others.
Ren
What does Taoism represent?
Chinese counterculture
The good life for the — is the simple life, spontaneous, in harmony with nature, unencumbered by social regulation, and free from the desire to achieve social ascendancy.
Taoists
They are are champions of individuality and individual freedom.
Taoists
This disavows a hierarchical view of the self, society, or cosmos.
Taoism
According to Taosim, the self is not an extension of, and not defined by (1). The self is but one of the countless manifestations of the Tao. It is an extension of the (2).
- social relationships
- cosmos
The — speaks of knowing others as being wise, and of knowing oneself as being enlightened. This implies a differentiation between the self and others.
Tao De Ching
It is the philosophical attitude of being identified with the Tao— an attitude that leads to acceptance of both life
and death. It encompasses both tranquility and activity. When this attitude is attained, the distinction between “I” and “other” disappears.
Selfishness
Meaning of Ubuntu
humanness
This is from the Ubuntu philosophy of Africa. A Zulu proverb says “a person is a person through other persons”. Thus, we are all brothers and sisters and people need reconciliation with others to realize this philosophy
African Ubuntu Philosophy
Which philisophy emphasized the unity of a nation – the chosen people of God. This is basically a communal perspective of the self shared by eastern traditions.
Judeo-Christian Philosophies
— shares similar perspective with Judeo-Christian Philosophies
Islam
They believe in the importance of community over the individual.
Islam
Highlights the oneness of Allah and the inclusivity of Islam as a religion
Islamic Traditions
The (1) philosophy is more attuned to the collective dimension of the self, compared to the (2) individualistic ideals of the self
- Eastern
- Western
Characteristics of the Western social construct of the self
- Individualistic self
- Self-sufficiency
- Rational self
An autonomous self and the goal of the person is to achieve the goals set by himself/herself.
Individualistic self
The self is seen as capable of meeting its need without external assistance.
Self-sufficiency
The self is constantly rational and reasonable. It relies on logic and reason to understand the world.
Rational self
The Eastern construct is primarily viewed as (1) and is always grounded on (2).
- collectivistic
- nature
Eastern traditions are firmly based on how the self relates with (1), (2), and (3).
- with others
- with the Divine being
- with nature
The eastern traditions are known for their (1) and (2) constructs
- communal
- spiritual
The western traditions developed a construct of being (1), (2), (3), and (4).
- individualistic
- self-reliant
- rational
- scientific
