Gec101 4

WESTERN AND
EASTERN
CONCEPT OF
THE SELF
LESSON 4
WESTERN THOUGHTS
 It conducts scientific investigations to understand the self and developed

theories and difference among them
 It emphasizes the importance of scientific methods of investigation to provide
satisfactory answers to understanding the self
 The western culture is what we would call an individualistic culture since their
focus is on the person
 Most of the philosophers we have discussed in our previous lessons fall under
western thoughts
EASTERN THOUGHTS
 It raises questions about the ultimate meaning of human life

 They have developed theories of self as they have investigated what it means to
be a human being
 It emphasis is relational rather than individual
 The self is considered not in isolation but in relation to others, society, and the
universe
 Eastern theories are highly practical. They offer a variety of techniques for
cultivating a deeper understanding of the self
 They do not utilize the scientific techniques of investigation
A closer look to different Eastern Thoughts
1. Buddhism
2. Hinduism
3. Confucianism
4. Taoism
Buddhism
 Siddharta Gautama known as Buddha is the founder of Buddhism
 The root word of Buddhism is budh meaning awake.
 To be awake may imply that when the eyes are open, it would lead to understanding more about
the self and the world.
 According to the teachings of Buddhism, every person has the seed of enlightenment, hence,
potential to be a buddha. But the seed should be nurtured.
 In Buddhist philosophy, man is just a title for the summation of the five parts (matter, sensation,
perception, mental constructs, and consciousness) that compose the individual, however each of
the parts distinctly is not man.
 There is no self (or no soul)
 There is only nothing and all else is an illusion.
 There is nothing permanent, but change.
 In buddhism, annica (impermanence) means that everything in life is always changing, that
nothing lasts forever.
Hinduism
 The goal of man is to have a knowledge of the true reality – Brahman.
 Law of karma is the most important doctrine of Hinduism.
 All actions are subject to karma.
 Individual actions will lead to either a good or bad outcomes in one’s life.
 Hindus believe that Atman being an immortal soul continues to be reincarnated from
lifetime until it is freed from the cycle of rebirth and reach a state of nirvana or non-birth.
 Karma does not end with a body’s death, so its influence may extend through incarnation of
the soul.
Confucianism
 The core of Confucian thought is the Golden Rule or the principle of reciprocity: “Do not
do to others what you would not want others to do to you”.
 Another important feature in Confucian though is the individual’s greatest mission of

attaining self-realization wherein self-cultivation is instrumental.
 Self-cultivation could be accomplished by knowing one’s role in the society and act
accordingly.
 Moral character is perfected through continuously taking every opportunity to improve

onself in though and action.
Taoism
 To them, the self is an extension of the cosmos, not of social realtionships.
 The self is described as one of the limitless forms of the Tao.
 The Tao is commonly regarded as Nature that is the foundation of all that exists.
 It is nit bounded by time and space.
 The ideal is to identify with the Tao.
 The perfect man has no self.
 The selfless person leads to a balanced life, in harmony with nature should govern
one’s life.
 There should be unity and harmony among opposing elements: the Yin and Yang.
DIMENSION WESTERN EASTERN
Frame of reference There is a separation between philosophy and Religion and philosophy are intertwined.
religion/spirituality.
Examples of School of Scholasticism Buddhism

Rationalism Hinduism
Thought/belief system Empiricism Confucianism
Phenomenology Taoism
Notable Philosophers Socrates Confucius

Plato Lao Tzu
Aristotle Siddhartha Gautama(Buddha)
Rene Descartes
John Locke
Source of knowledge They made use of reason rather than faith to pursue wisdom They trusted intuition and is often associated with
religious beliefs
Modes of cognition Analytic and Deductive Synthetic and inductive
Emphasis Distinctions and Opposition Commonalities and Harmonies
View of the Universe and Life Linear Circular
View of Self Egocentric Sociocentric
Theological View Monotheistic Polytheistic (pluralistic)
Ideal Self- actualization through personal growth To achieve a balanced life and find one’s role in
society
Cultural Framework individualism Collectivism

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WESTERN AND

 It conducts scientific investigations to understand the self and developed

 It raises questions about the ultimate meaning of human life

 The root word of Buddhism is budh meaning awake.

 There is no self (or no soul)

 There is only nothing and all else is an illusion.

 There is nothing permanent, but change.

 Law of karma is the most important doctrine of Hinduism.

 All actions are subject to karma.

 Another important feature in Confucian though is the individual’s greatest mission of

 Moral character is perfected through continuously taking every opportunity to improve

 The self is described as one of the limitless forms of the Tao.

 It is nit bounded by time and space.

 The ideal is to identify with the Tao.

 The perfect man has no self.

Examples of School of Scholasticism Buddhism

Notable Philosophers Socrates Confucius

Modes of cognition Analytic and Deductive Synthetic and inductive

Emphasis Distinctions and Opposition Commonalities and Harmonies

View of the Universe and Life Linear Circular

View of Self Egocentric Sociocentric

Theological View Monotheistic Polytheistic (pluralistic)

Cultural Framework individualism Collectivism

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