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Tuesday, 29 November 2005 10:50 |
| Janese Johnson
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Over the past few months, I have heard a number of times how superior Western philosophy is to Eastern philosophy. I am not an expert or scholar in philosophy, but I am a life-long student of ideas. Therefore, my point of view will be coming from that perspective, not that of an expert.
This article is not about competing with that belief system ?±?± it is about pointing out the great attributes that they each have. To think in terms of one being better than the other seems similar to saying that a man is smarter than a woman.
Before talking about philosophy, I would like to first address a study
done by Lawrence Kohlberg in the 1960s, which addressed the differences
between male and female thinking. The study was based on a question
asked of children and adolescents to gauge their moral development, and
to gauge the differences between
male??s and female??s moral-reasoning skills.
Because of their reasoning, he concluded that males scored higher in moral development than females.
In response, Carol Gilligan says this is not true. You cannot even
compare boys to girls, because their reasoning is very different. Boys
tend to come up with their desired result, and then reason around that
to justify the answer, whereas girls tend to be more concerned with
long-term ramifications and want to talk about things first.
Gilligan pointed out that since male reasoning was determining the
moral development of boys and girls, it could not really determine the
results accurately. You cannot compare different reasoning skills ?±?± it
is like comparing apples and oranges.
Wouldn??t this be a similar case when we say that Western philosophy is
superior to Eastern philosophy? Could it be possible that they both
have contributed to the world in great and very different ways?
It is true that in our Western culture, we have been greatly influenced
by some great Western philosophers, leading back from Socrates in
469-399 BCE to the present. Many philosophers have been able to label
and define many of our ideals and ways of living in a social and
political world. Our democracy, freedoms, rights, economy, private
property and much social and political thought come out of Western
philosophers.
From this perspective, as it is with the male perspective in Kohlberg??s study, it can be understood why
someone might say that Western philosophy is more superior. But if we
take a deeper look at Western philosophy in practice in our American
way, we might see our political leaders living pretty closely to these
philosophical ideals.
Aristotle definitely supported hierarchical, elite thinking, along with
how to live well and good. Locke??s beliefs were closely aligned to our
Constitution; Bentham and Mill stressed the importance of the greatest
good for the greatest number. And the importance of individualism by
Mill; Smith and Marx, and many others, labeled and supported
capitalism. These have all benefited our democracy.
What does seem to be missing is a very important ingredient: living
life from our hearts and the importance of cultivating compassion,
which some might consider a female perspective. But as it looks now in
this present administration, I think compassion would have made a huge
difference in every decision made up to this point,
and we would be a whole lot better off.
The East has contributed greatly with its philosophers. I will only go
into a few here due to space. The three that I am emphasizing were all
at the same time, or before, Socrates.
The Upanishads are contained within a group of 112 writings that are
called spiritual treatises, dating 400-800 BCE. They were written in
Sanskrit and used to instruct students on all areas of life, death and
ways of living.
I will only write a small sample here in order to share a bit of the
importance of what the Upanishads had to say. This is from the
Chandogya Upanishad: ?®There is a Light that shines beyond all things on
earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond the highest, the very
highest heavens. This is the light that shines in our heart.?∆
In the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao- tzu around 551 BCE, he says in one of his verses:
?®Highest good is like the water. Because water excels in benefiting the
myriad creatures without contending with them and settles where none
would like to be, it comes close to the way. In a home, it is the site
that matters; in quality of mind it is depth that matters; in an ally
it is benevolence that matters; in speech it is good faith that
matters; in government it is order that matters; in affairs it is
ability that matters; in action it is timeliness that matters. It is
because it does not contend that it never has fault.?∆
And with Confucius, 551-479 BCE, we can see a similar idea presented by Aristotle 100 years later. He said:
?®Courtesy uncontrolled by the laws of good taste becomes laboured
effort, caution uncontrolled becomes timidity, boldness uncontrolled
becomes recklessness, and frankness uncontrolled becomes effrontery.?∆
I feel that it is important to appreciate and learn from all the great wisdom ?±?± East and West.
I also believe that saying one is superior is coming from an elitist
place. Elitism has caused a lot of pain and suffering in our world
through the ages. I think it is important to really take in the
philosophy of compassion along with the guidelines that many Western
philosophers have given us.
I hope that we as a global community can get beyond elite,
better-than-others thinking, and start to bridge the gap between all
ideas and thoughts, and at least find some commonality with which we
can all be connected.
??
Janese Johnson has
been doing intuitive counseling nationally for more than 20 years. She
may be contacted at janesej-at-bellsouth.net.
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