EXPANDING OUR PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMES: EASTERN AND WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
3 Great Original Centers of Philosophy in the World:
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China
India
Greece
Greeks before Thales did not have philosophy (Velasquez, 1999)
There was a change in philosophy when the Greek Triumvirate (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle)
contributed their ideas. Eastern philosophy was diminished and philosophical ideas emanate
from Western Thinkers (Quito, 1991).
Different from Our Own…
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Each society or culture has its own idea of itself, a definition of what is important in life,
and its own notions of what the world is like in general terms; thus each society or
culture can be said to have its own “philosophy” (Quito, 1991)
The 3 Attitudinal Imperatives by Quito (1991)
(Oriental or Eastern Philosophy)
1. Oriental thought runs in a circular manner in which the end conjoins the beginning in a
cyclic style.
2. East does not make a rigorous distinction between religion and philosophy. Basic
philosophical concepts are shrouded in religious belief and myths.
3. Acceptance of the validity of intuition and mysticism, the readiness to revert to extra
logical, if not illogical modes of thinking.
The West
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Theorize and speculate
No application to life is necessary
Representing dualistic distinctions (me/you;subject/object)
artificial