“Oriental” philosophy?

Daniel, this is a very good overview of other major philosophies outside of the west, but:

“Oriental” philosophy? We seem to be continuing the great fallacy of western philosophers in clumping together all thought from the east as oriental. Ironically, Hebraism gets to join the west, most probably because of Paul, yet Orthodox Christianity has that “exotic” flavor. I can understand an empirical-rationalist putting Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism in one basket – they are predominately meta-physical; and Shintoism is just your basic Druidic shamanism with the Emperor, as high priest, offering sacrifice to the earth goddess Ameterasu (though they do have some really cool shrines - it is a blood sacrifice cult none-the-less).

Chinese philosophy, I think, warrants a whole paper on its own. Not least because it is the philosophy of a people poised to dominate the world over the next century and we need to better understand it; but also because our understanding of it is based largely on some serious miss-understandings in our divergent concepts of the “I am.”

Western philosophy is “me” centered. What is my place in the universe, ergo how can I find joy and fulfillment in my life – of course this leads to the current American instant gratification culture of “I want it now” and “my way.” I, I, me, me. I can be saved by taking the easiest road possible and to hell with everyone else. People plugged into IPods as they walk, drive, study, tuning out.

Confucius and his fellow philosophers expound a fundamentally “we” philosophy. You talk about the “herd.” But this herd is OUR family, OUR community, OUR nation. I am willing to sacrifice “me” to “our” and take the longer view which leads to the fulfillment of the goal of our family, community, and nation. This is a very powerful philosophy and you can see it played out on a small scale in the world today as Chinese rally ‘round the Olympic torch. It does NOT matter their personal views of the government or the fact that their family has been citizens of America, etc for a hundred years.

We also have a problem in interpretation. Confucius is an “Aristotelian” philosopher. On some level perhaps, but they come from whole different thought processes and to translate Chinese philosophical terms into western ideas to better grasp them, the western philosophical student is likely to miss differences in fundamental concepts.

I would like to suggest to the serious philosophy student who wants to major in the discipline and make a contribution to the world of tomorrow, take a philosophy course in Chinese philosophy with a Chinese instructor, learn the Chinese forms and their original meanings – not what you think they mean in western thought, in English or French or even Greek. That is My thought.

Me

What Makes Us Human?

Is there an evolutionary difference between divine beings and human beings?

Are all humans human? What makes us human? Is it just an outside shell or are there internal characteristics that are necessary. We believe in evolution and natural selection. Are some humans more evolved than others? Did humans evolve differently on different continents after the original diaspora after mitochondrial Eve? What is the “ideal” human? Is it possible to achieve this ideal or only a dream?

• characteristic of humanity; "human nature"
• homo: any living or extinct member of the family Hominidae characterized by superior intelligence, articulate speech, and erect carriage
• having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings; "human beings"; "the human body"; "human kindness"; "human frailty" (http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=human)
• WHAT is human? Does consciousness make us human? If so, what type of consciousness? Does it differ from that of primates or even non-primates? If so, how? Do cultures and communities make us human?
• WHEN is human? Is there pre-human; is there "post-human"
• What is INhuman? What ethical qualities are associated with being human? Why do we qualify as "inhuman" acts performed by humans? Is it relavent to being human?(http://www.humanities.wisc.edu/What-Is-Human/Home.html)
• What is the Human condition: natural or sinful? What caused the present condition of humans? Was it purposely created, the normal progression of nature or is it an error on the part of humans that needs correcting.
• God: yes or no? Does it matter? Can we know? If so, how; if not would the human condition change? Does God give humans a unique value or are we just a smart, walking, talking chimp?

All Is Joy Eternal

The overman lives in the city on the hill in perfect relationship with his fellows, in perfect understanding of the truth so as to have no need to expound on it further as it would just serve to confuse the masses who, missing the concept of self-perfection, create an opiate and call it religion. Thus the budding overman must struggle by his own will, in the darkness of his “cave” perfecting himself and ... finding all joy in deep eternity, climb to the city submitting to the authority of its ideal. (Nietzsche, Socrates, Augustine, Aquinas-after his revelation, Kierkegaard, and Daniel a budding overman)

I want a Divorce!

Daniel, everyone, J C makes an interesting point and challenge. Can western secular philosophy divorce itself completely from the supernatural? Can nearly 4,000 years of philosophical terms and definitions be rewritten to erase concepts of the metaphysical embedded in its core? Things unbelievable and non-existent irritating Empirical-rational thought? Why is it necessary in western philosophy to even entertain the concept of God?

I personally have a feeling that rationalism and metaphysics in western thought are like an estranged couple living together. They are comfortable enough with each other to not want a divorce. They enjoy their squabbles over who’s wrong and who’s right. In fact, they so often identify themselves by what they aren’t and what they don’t believe that without the other their whole existence would lose its frame of identity. A dialectical reasoning. The thesis needs its antithesis, without which it can’t answer the question “who am I?” Is it possible to completely erase god from the discussion? Maybe we don’t really want to. Anyone?

Is it ESP or Instinct?

Daniel, Thank you for your comment. I think it is "ESP." Now I know what you are going to say, but think about it. Why are we are so comfortable with some things and some people and yet not with others. “I have a bad feeling about …” "People have a feeling," and get off a boat or plane that will be destroyed. A tribe in Southeast Asia doesn't have tools for cutting down trees. What do they do? They walk around the tree cursing it. It dies, they cart it away. A mother "knows" her child is in trouble or has died.

I think that we have a natural communication device within ourselves that warns us of danger or assures us of safety and it is that sub-conscious communication that assists the smooth flow in a society - like Japan. It is my supposition, obviously yet to be proven, that as we grow in the womb our brain "mind" becomes inherently conditioned to the level of conscious and sub-conscious "vibes" of the surrounding society through “psychic” osmosis much the same way we absorb nutrients physically. This is, in a sense, a combination of absorbing the specie instinct as David Hume might suggest along with the “current status” as might be loosely described by Jung as a psychic unconscious. Even, if I dare say it, Socrates "universal I" a connection to each other that make my care of you more than just good for me or you but necessary for all our internal "psychic" communal well being. The general happiness and contentment that then produces new babies who are healthier and more self-assured.

We become in tune with our environment much like we prepare a computer by downloading programs from another computer. Knowledge (the actual files) is not passed but the innate comfort to accept what we learn after being born. The image is within us but the form must be acquired anew with each birth. Maybe that is why people believe in re-incarnation, babies sometimes born with a better tuned capacity to “gel” with a like personality through a psychic connection. Not an old “soul” being reborn.

Me

"Empirical Realism"

This blog is really a compilation of my responses and comments in a continuing discourse being held at Daniel Rea’s blog which can be found at "Empirical Realism" - if you are serious about philosophy and its current affect on you and society at large, check it out.