characteristics of eastern philosophy

1. EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
Lecturer : syed noman ali
sna.syednomanali@gmail.com

2. AIMS OF PHILOSOPHY
• Cosmological unity
• Behavioral ethics
• Relationship with religion
• Social integration
• Intuition over intellect
• Collectivism
• Self improvement
• Find inner self
• Find balance in human life
• Spiritual approach

3. EASTERN PHILOSOPHY
• Oriental philosophy
Hinduism , Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism
• Muslim philosophy
Persian-turkish-Spain-Arabic Muslims

4. HINDUISM
• It a religious culture around 1500-2000 B.C
• Their literature is Vedas,the bodies of knowledge.
• Hold the universe to be all one, Brahman.
• Everything has same soul in all living being.
• The purpose of life is to find enlightenment
• The cycle of birth and death goes on
• Karma- chain of causes. All of our actions will eventually
have consequences
• Desire is the root of all evil.

5. PHILOSOPHY VERSUS MYTHS
• Mythological thinking was based on reflection of
nature and man in the light of the tribal relations.
• Philosophy introduces the system of knowledge that
is based on reason.

6. PLAN
• Origin of philosophical thought. Eastern and
western types of cultural development.
• Philosophy of Ancient India (Vedantic philosophy,
Buddhism).
• Philosophical conceptions of Ancient China
(Confucianism, Taoism).

7. PHILOSOPHY ORIGIN
• Philosophy originated in the following three centers
of the ancient civilization: in ancient Greece, India
and China, what happened almost simultaneously
in the middle of the 1st
millennium BC.

8. INDIAN PHILOSOPHY
• Ancient Indian philosophy includes the mystical
treatises known as Upanishads (700 – 100 BC), early
Buddhist writings (300 BC – 500 AD) and the Sanskrit
poem Bhagavad-Gita (Song of God, about 200
BC). Classical Indian philosophy is less concerned
with spirituality than ancient thought

9. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?
• According to some versions of Hinduism the
purpose of life is to find enlightenment.
• Most people cannot discover these truths in one
lifetime- as such we are reincarnated.

10. REINCARNATION
Reincarnation, the view that after death
human beings live again in other forms
Bhagavad-Gita:
"We have all been for all time: I, and thou,
and those king of men. And we shall be
for all time, we all for ever and ever"
"As a man leaves an old garment and puts
on the one that is new, the Spirit leaves his
mortal body and then puts on one that is
new"

11. KARMA
• the sum total of the acts done in one stage of
person's existence, which determines his destiny
in the next stage
• a form of matter, which can contaminate a soul
and postpone its attaining Nirvana
• the doctrine that whatsoever a man sows,
whether in action or thought, the fruits will
eventually be reaped by him – if not in this life,
then in the next

12. BUDDHISM
• Siddhartha Buddha (563-483)a philosophical tradition,
founded by Gautama .
• Buddha means enlightened one i-e rational being.
• His ideas are based on reasons not revealed.
• Truth are available for all with reasons.
• Buddhism attempts to conquer the suffering through the
elimination of desire and ego and attainment of the
state of nirvana.
• Nirvana- permanent end of life,become one with the
universe.
• 4 Noble Truths are
(1)suffering(2)causes(3)elimination(4)enlighten

13. FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS
1)Sorrow is the universal experience of mankind.
2)The cause of sorrow is desire, and the cycle of
rebirths is perpetuated by desire for existence.
3)The removal of sorrow can only come from the
removal of desire.
4)The desire can be systematically abandoned
by following the Noble Eightfold Path

14. NIRVANA
• Nirvana- permanent liberation from life
• Liberation from the cycle of samsara, we cease to
exist and become one with the universe.

15. Buddhism develops later India.
The Buddha achieves enlightenment, or oneness with
Brahmin,
and passes on to his followers his Path for attaining
enlightenment.
Buddhism travels to China, where it is influenced by the Taoist
tradition of Lao Tzu.
This variety of Buddhisms travels to Japan, where it flourishes and comes to be
known as Zen Buddhism.

17. Рисунок
The ancient Chinese
cosmological concepts:
the spirits (or Gods), the
Yin and Yang – the
symbols of light and
dark, positive and
negative. They take on
the character of the
cosmic forces that are in
a constant aspiration
(tendency) to each other.
Universe, society and
morality formed because
of this.
Academic material
Ancient Chinese Philosophy
17

18. TAOISM
• Lao tzu was the founder of Taoism,.
• All the change in the world lies on one fundamental
universal principle: the Way or Tao.
• The way and its power is the path of balanced life.
• Something and Nothing produce to each other.
• The root of all is these two opposite forces in the
universe.
• Contractive and expansive forces in the universe.
• Two principles ,yin and yang,contravctive and
expanisive.
• Act with harmony to nature don't need to change.
• Respect the all ecological balance of nature.

19. 19
DAOISM
• Dao- “the way,” become one with the
cosmos, with nature, with all things
• Ying and Yang: balance is good, “proper
harmony”
• Daoism has changed throughout the
centuries, increasing in mysticism and
superstition, increased knowledge of
metallurgy and astronomy
• Lao Zi: “Old Sage,” Chinese philosopher and
founder, Tao Te Ching (The Way and Its
Power)

20. DAOISM
• Dao is the main notion of Daoism that gives
answers to all the questions about origin of the
world and the way it exists. It is the initial
cause and the only law of the universe to
which nature, society and man are
subordinated.
• The essence of Dao is non-being, that is why it
can neither be cognized by mind nor
determined by means of words.
• When we think that life's occurrences seem
unfair (a human discrimination), we should
remember that heaven's net misses nothing
and it leaves nothing undone.

21. HEAVEN AND EARTH
• Each of these opposites produce the other: Heaven
creates the ideas of things under yang, the earth
produces their material forms under yin, and vice
versa; creation occurs under the principle of yang,
the completion of the created thing occurs under
yin, and vice versa, and so on.

22. Social Ethic
of
Confucianism

23. CONFUCIANISM
• Confucius(551-479) was a founder of this Chinese
thought.
• It is concerned with morality ,social ethics and ancestors.
• His teaching treat other as you would like to be treated.
• What you don’t desire for yourself, don’t do to others.
• Deal with the great loyalty while it is yet small sincerity
• Family is metaphor for society to develop.
• 5 constant relationship
1.Parent 2.husband-wife 3.sibling 4.friend 5.ruler
• No need for physical punishment and law
• We can transform other from sincerity and faithfulness.
• All human beings are alike at birth uphold by character.

24. CONFUCIANISM
The Chinese called him Kong Fu Zi or “Master
Kong
Five key themes
Jen- human-heartedness empathy
Chun Tzu - the gentleman righteous
Li - good manners sacrifice
Te government by virtue wisdom
Wen arts of peace trustworthy

25. RULE
Human beings have a natural goodness endowed
from Heaven, but it needs to be realized.
• Human nature is good just as water seeks at lower
ground.
• The “self” is understood as the center of
relationships
• Self>family>community>country>world
• The human being is an integrated being
• idea of the self is not built on the idea of individuality
as the core of the person

26. FAMILY UNIT
People should know their place in life and society.
They should respect people above and below them.
5 Relationships
Three are directly related to the nuclear family
Two are related to the extended society
1.father-child----kindness and obedience
2.husband-wife---love and loyalty
3.elder-younger brother---nobility and respect
4.friend-friend---humanness and deference
5.ruler-subject----benevolence and sincerity

27. IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
People should help financially to each others.
Family is a model for all society.
Each generation has duties to next.
Children-how to be useful in society.
The elders are our assets. It is duty to love them.
Political loyalty comes from home lesson.
Focus on individual role rather than domination.
Moral character is understand by how well you treat
your family.

28. STATE
The relation between superiors and inferiors is like
that between the wind and the grass. The grass must
bend, when the wind blows across it.“
only when character is cultivated are our families
regulated; only when families are regulated are
states well governed.
The Confucian society is “one large family”

29. SOCIETY
The Confucian society is “one large family” .
The ordering of society through self-cultivation of the
individual
• Righteousness in the heart leads to beauty in the
character
• Beauty in the character leads to harmony in the home
• Harmony in the home leads to order in the nation
• Order in the nation leads to peace in the world

30. 30

31. INDIVIDUALISTIC VS.
COLLABORATIVE
• I am part of my family.
• I am part of my
community.
• I am part of my country.
• The goodness of the
whole is more important
than the individual.
• My actions directly
impact my family and
my community.
• I am special.
• I am unique.
• I am me.
• I am an individual.
• I am who I am.
• I am a rational agent.
• I am responsible for my
own action.
West and East

32. • Sel
f
West and East
Individualistic VS. Collaborative

33. • Leadership
•The Difference Between West and East
Individualistic VS. Collaborative
West and East

34. • Circular
FORMS OF DISCOURSE
•The Difference Between west and East
• Linear
West and East

35. STUDENTS
•West
• Self-confidence
• Independence
• Curiosity
• Free thinking
• ……..
•East
• Discipline
• Obey
• Good observers
• Patient
• Respectful
• Afraid of making
• mistakes
West and East

36. INDIVIDUALISM /
COLLECTIVISM
A human being is an integral
part of the universe and the
society. People are
fundamentally connected.
Duty towards all others is a
very important matter.
Collectivism is stronger.

37. MYSTICISM
• It influence from Neo-Platonism and
• Represents a mystical, theosophical, and ascetic
• Becoming one with absolute pure
• Secret experience of something spiritual.
• Intuitive understanding of reality
• All sort of esoteric traditions and practice unite.
• Purification of heart turning it away all except God.
• Divine love is the essence of mysticism.
• Attainment of ultimate universal one truth.
• (Self) transformation by practices and actions.