L5 Western/Oriental Thought

• WESTERN THOUGHT

  ·       They give higher value with their personal rights

  ·       The western society is trying to find & prove the “truth”
• EASTERN THOUGHT

  ·       Interested in maintaining the balance of life

  ·       Gives more value to social responsibility & accepting the reality of life (fact)
• EDWARD T. HALL

  ·       “One of the most effective ways to learn about oneself is by taking seriously the cultures of others. It forces you to pay attention to those details of life which differentiate them from you.”
• Values: Western

  Emphasizes equality even if they see that person can rise above everything else

  Has first-name basis even with seniors
• Values: Eastern

  Emphasis on hierarchy as the culture wants to keep things in harmony & order

  Use of honorifics (Sir, Ma’am) and they won’t go against high-ranking officials
• Self-descriptions: Western

  Talks about personal attributes when describing themselves
• Self-descriptions: Eastern

  Talks about their social roles or social situations that invoked certain traits that they deem positive for their selves
• Self-evaluations: Western

  ·       Highlights personal achievements
• Self-evaluation: Eastern

  ·       Keeps a low profile to not be seen as boastfulness
• Western: Individualistic

  ·       Focus is on the person

  ·       Talks about personal attributes when describing themselves

  ·       Highlights personal achievement

  ·       Looks at the world in DUALITIES, you are distinct from the other person, the creator is separate from the creation.
• Eastern: Collectivist

  ·       Group & social relations is more important the individual

  ·       Talk about their social roles/social situations that invoked positive traits

  ·       Low profile for self-promotion is seen as boastfulness

  ·       Sees the other person as part of yourself as well as the things you may create
• CONFUCIANISM

  ·       Also known as RUISM

  ·       Describes as tradition, a philosophy, a humanistic/rationalistic religion

  ·       From the teaching of CONFUCIUS, a Chinese Philosopher
• Confucianism: SUBDUED SELF

  ·       Personal needs are repressed for the good of many

  ·       Confucian society=hierarchical for the purpose of maintaining order & balance in society
• 3 CORE VALUES OF CONFUCIANISM:

  • Filial Piety
  • Humaneness
  • Ritual
• 3 CORE VALUES OF CONFUCIANISM: FILIAL PIETY

  ·       Respect for elders
• 3 CORE VALUES OF CONFUCIANISM: HUMANENESS

  ·       Goodness
• 3 CORE VALUES OF CONFUCIANISM: RITUAL

  ·       Proper conduct
• BUDDHISM: Three Marks of Existence

  • IMPERMANENCE (ANICCA)
  • SUFFERING (DUKKHA)
  • NON-SELF (ANATTA)
• BUDDHISM 3 MARKS OF EXISTENCE: IMPERMANENCE (ANICCA)

  ·       Nothings lasts, everything decays

  ·       All things are in constant state of flux
• BUDDHISM 3 MARKS OF EXISTENCE: SUFFERING (DUKKHA)

  ·       All things are not experienced

  ·       Everything is conditions & conditioning
• BUDDHISM 3 MARKS OF EXISTENCE: NON-SELF (ANATTA)

  ·       Denies that there is anything called a “self”
• GAUTAMA BUDDHA

  ·       Taught that all beings are conditioned by causes (sankhara) impermanent (anicca) & suffering (dukhha)

  ·       That not-self (anatta) characterizes all dhammas,

  ·       Meaning there’s no “I”, “ME” OR “MINE” in either the conditions/unconditions (i.e. nibbana)
• Unsatisfactoriness & Suffering

  • They exist & are universally experienced
  • Desire & attachment are the causes of it
• Buddhism: Self

  Cause of all suffering
• TAOISM

  ·       Also knows a DAOISM

  ·       Chinese Philosophy based on Lao-tzu’s writings

  ·       Advocates humility & religious piety

  ·       Living in the way of the TAO/universe

  ·       Aims to describe how to attain life

  ·       The self is in harmony with everything
• Taoism is also called Daoism
• Taoism: CONCEPT OF HARMONY

  ·       A central feature of Taoism is harmony between people & their environment, nature, tao
• Tao Chi

  ·       Yin-yang diagram

  ·       Example of the value of harmony with the environment

  ·       Applied to concept of health for energy (qi/chi), balance for disease prevention, healing & the devt. of human potential
• 5 BASIC VIRTUES OF CONFUCIANISM

  • Ren
  • Yi
  • Li
  • Zhi
  • Xin