East Vs West Philosphoes

These two philosophies differ in three principles: individualism vs. collectivism, fragmentary and holistic, and conflict and harmony.

First, individualism is highly desired in the West. I think this is ironic because although people may superficially praise individualism, what they really want is conformity. In a philosophical context, Western schools emphasize the individual experience as being independent from the universe and society. Just as the Western idea of individualism can get out of hand; the idea of collectivism has been damaging in the history of the East. Example, Tyrannical communist leaders have devastated people from North Korea to Cambodia. Another example is that Confucianism and Taoism, while they do share some similarities, are actually different. Confucianism is more political and ethical, and it stresses duty to others, tradition, and ceremony. On the other hand, Taoism is more metaphysical and epistemological, and is similar to Western philosophies since stresses individualism, spontaneity, and non-conformity.

Second, in Western philosophy, they like to emphasize the importance of parts of a whole rather than the whole. For example, people see things like the mind and the body as two separate parts with separate identities, rather than viewing them as two equal but opposing parts that form a greater whole. This mentality can be found daily in American society, such as in politics, religion, or even race relations.  On the other hand, Eastern philosophy emphasizes the whole. For this reason, Chinese and Indian people never differentiated between religion and philosophy or categorized their philosophies into branches. All of their teachings were not viewed as separate truths, but as parts that would eventually lead to the one Truth.

While we separate philosophy and religion in the West, the two are combined in the East. In the West, there is God. According to your religion, you worship God in a certain way and live your life a certain way. The Abrahamic God is worshipped by most of the world's population. This God is a "he" and he feels what man feels: anger, jealousy, happiness, love, etc. This God is supernatural. Ironically, although man is created by God, and though people say that everything God creates is good, man is seen as sinful, evil, and unworthy of God's love. So, men must work to earn the love of their God, by worshipping his son, by praying to him five times daily, by getting circumcised, or some other act of devotion.  

So, Western religion focuses on the fragments that make up the religion, for example, your religion, your prayers, what church you go to, what foods you eat, which scriptures you read, etc.  In one word, it focuses on the parts rather than the whole.

Contrastingly, this idea of the creator is very different in the Easter philosophy. For instance, in Taoism, there is the Tao. The Tao is not a he or a she. It is the source of all gender. The Tao is the source of all life, and it is what sustains all life. The goal of Taoism is to connect with this energy by living a more natural and balanced lifestyle. Man does not worship the Tao, man aligns himself with it. Man does not pray to the Tao, man meditates the Tao. Man connects with the Tao by aligning himself with the concept of yin yang, by simply going with the flow of nature. The Tao is not "supernatural" in the sense that it performs miracles; rather, it is that which created and governs the "laws" of nature. 

The Hindu concept of Brahman is similar to the Tao, as is the Buddhist concept of Dharma. These are not deities. They do not require men to pray to them in a certain language or worship them. Rather, they represent the fundamental reality behind a world that is ever-changing. Everything in the universe is constantly growing and shrinking such as being born and dying. Everything is becoming something else. But behind this becoming is something that remains, that which the Eastern philosophies emphasize, not that which becomes.

Third and final, we have the idea of conflict versus harmony. Western philosophy stresses differences and the conflicts arising from those differences. For example, Christian beliefs of God and the devil, good and evil, right and wrong, etc. have strongly influenced our society.

The philosophical traditions of the west are built on the idea of separation and difference. Atheists and theists, rather than attempt to find a common ground, instead they discredit each other’s ideas. The Western philosophical tradition also makes heavy use of debate, and in a debate one is expected to prove why one's idea is superior to the opposite idea.

Western philosophy was not developed in an attempt to harmonize opposite ideas or to solve contradictions; rather, it was developed to prove how one idea is superior to another. Unfortunately, people have taken this to the extreme and instead of using their logic and reasoning, they have let their emotions control them. In Lebanon, for example, different groups love to emphasize how they are different from each other. They try to prove why the other side is wrong. Meanwhile, the well-being of the nation is forgotten during this childish argument.

In the eastern philosophical traditions, harmony is emphasized. The Taoist idea of yin yang is a good example of this. Yin is feminine, dark, cold, and yielding. Yang is masculine, bright, hot, and advancing. These may seem separate ideas to the Western mind, but in reality, they are opposing parts of equal importance that when combined, they create a greater whole.