Eastern and Western Philosophers

Eastern and Western Philosophers

Introduction

Life and thought for many years has been affected by Eastern and Western philosophies, and how they view the world. Is it possible to really understand the implications, intentions, and justifications that have led each philosopher to their beliefs? Whether we can or cannot, we have to look at every idea and compare it to how it matches our own thoughts and beliefs. There is a wide gulf between Buddha and John Dewey, but looking at each in the context of the other illuminates their different culture, ages, and essences.

Eastern Philosopher

Siddhartha Gautama (c. 563-c. 483 B.C.E.) would come to be called Buddha, and his philosophy led to the religion and philosophy called Buddhism. Buddha was curious about why people suffered, and this made him search out why people in his kingdom suffered in a myriad of ways. Suffering, for Buddha, was not something short-term, it was the long-lasting torment contained in a human's body and soul.

Buddha had a comfortable and luxurious life, and he looked like he had everything a person could want, even a wife and child. He still went out into the world to learn why suffering happened and how to solve it. It took him six years of study, but Buddha discovered that suffering came from human nature, and the tendency to fear and dread all inevitable changes. This makes sense, in modern-day society changes happen, and these changes change how people live and feel (Moore & Bruder, 2008).

Buddha wrote out his philosophy in the Four Noble Truths: 1) Suffering exists, 2) Suffering exists for reasons that we can understand and see, 3) It is possible to stop suffering, 4) living with the Eightfold Path in mind will lead to an enlightened life and the end of suffering (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p. 530). In fact, what the Buddha taught about suffering and the Eightfold Path is a lot like the positive and good lifestyle that Jesus Christ described as the way to happiness now and forever.

Buddha saw a person's karma as a source of their life's experiences and circumstances, but he also said that not having enough or the correct knowledge led people to suffering. Understanding Buddha's Four Noble Truths means that you must understand the Eight Fold Path and how to enlighten a person's life.

Buddha said that living in the right and appropriate was was the only way that a person could end their suffering. The Eight Fold Path is the eight rules or stages that mean your life is being lived correctly. If a person follows these stages, they will have a cleaner and better mind and actions, which makes people happy naturally.

It is important to remember that Buddha did not teach about a God or a creator, and that people were responsible for learning how to get rid of their own earthly suffering. He came up with the Eight Fold Path in order to let people follow it without fear or doubt. It's impressive that Buddha's thought lines up with the teaching of the divine creator in many ways.

Western Philosopher

John Dewey (1859-1952) was instrumental in America's pragmatist philosophical movement. For a pragmatist, there is no such thing as a real, immutable truth. They say that truth is defined by its time, place, and context, and that it constantly changes to accommodate and integrate new information (Moore & Bruder, 2008, p. 222). This is clearly true, because changes always happen no matter how we feel about them. If we do not change ourselves to adapt to our environments and circumstances,