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Chinese philosophers

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  • 11-06-2009 2:11pm
    #1
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭


    The wisdom in Chinese religion, Daoism/Taoism(as well as Buddhism) and Chinese philosophy is vast. Thought I would share.

    http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/category/chinese_philosopher.html

    Not all above tha bove are wholesome or wise. But their is vast wisdom in their words. If only the west was run by their religions and philosophial beliefs, I think we would be better off.


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    #2
    orestes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,972 ✭✭✭orestes


    Moved from philosophy forum, I think it's more suited to here :)


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    #3
    DadaKopf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,731 ✭✭✭DadaKopf


    Don't agree. Chinese philosophy has as much place on a Philosophy board as Greek philosophy. Chinese philosophy - Tao, Buddhism - is part of (at least) the UCD philosophy degree.

    Much of it has resonance with other kinds of ideas familiar to the European tradition. And Schopenhauer wasn't ignorant of this.

    Restore the thread to philosophy.


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    #4
    Nerin
    Registered Users Posts: 10,523 ✭✭✭✭Nerin


    The philosophy moderator has explained to me the broad scope of the subject and feels it can be better discussed here,so i'm letting it stay.


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    #5
    Joe1919
    Registered Users Posts: 1,153 ✭✭✭Joe1919


    DadaKopf wrote: »
    Chinese philosophy has as much place on a Philosophy board as Greek philosophy. .

    I agree entirely that Chinese philosophy is valuable and I think its a great shame and loss to westerners that they dont take Eastern philosophy more seriously.
    Chinese philosophy is more suttle than western philosophy, sometimes so suttle that westerners (who have no sensitivity) dismiss it as not philosophy at all. Chinese philosophy tries to emphasise the aesthetical and intuitive side of life. In this sense, living is an Art. (my view of 'jen'.)

    I particularly like some of the Taoist (or Daoism) writings, especially Chuang Tzu. (Zhuangzi). My two favourites are (Ch 3)

    'A good cook changes his knife once a year - because he cuts. A mediocre cook changes his knife once a month - because he hacks. I've had this knife of mine for nineteen years......'

    This (IMO) is really about 'going with nature' or 'going with the flow' i.e. using our resources carefully, sparingly and wisely. (wu-wei). The west could certainly learn some lessons here.

    My other favourite and one I love to understand and discuss more is the famous 'Butterfly dream'. (Ch 2)

    'Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.


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    #6
    Affable
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,212 ✭✭✭Affable


    Joe1919 wrote: »
    I agree entirely that Chinese philosophy is valuable and I think its a great shame and loss to westerners that they dont take Eastern philosophy more seriously.
    Chinese philosophy is more suttle than western philosophy, sometimes so suttle that westerners (who have no sensitivity) dismiss it as not philosophy at all. Chinese philosophy tries to emphasise the aesthetical and intuitive side of life. In this sense, living is an Art. (my view of 'jen'.)

    I particularly like some of the Taoist (or Daoism) writings, especially Chuang Tzu. (Zhuangzi). My two favourites are (Ch 3)

    'A good cook changes his knife once a year - because he cuts. A mediocre cook changes his knife once a month - because he hacks. I've had this knife of mine for nineteen years......'

    This (IMO) is really about 'going with nature' or 'going with the flow' i.e. using our resources carefully, sparingly and wisely. (wu-wei). The west could certainly learn some lessons here.

    My other favourite and one I love to understand and discuss more is the famous 'Butterfly dream'. (Ch 2)

    'Once Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Zhuangzi. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Zhuangzi. But he didn't know if he was Zhuangzi who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Zhuangzi. Between Zhuangzi and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.

    I agree! The west is arrogant and dismissive. The wisdom in eastern religion, such as Buddhism, even Hinduism, but especially Daosim/Taoism is vast. Some beautiful stuff, which could have a very positive impact on the west. More generally, given that religion is such a vast part of our make up, the fact that their religions are so much wiser indicates something about their societies in general.


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    #7
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    So what type butterfly are you?


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    #8
    bou
    Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭bou


    I think western philosophy is more about theory and eastern is more about practice. Of course back in the day, Socrates lived his philosophy to the end.
    To a westerner eastern thought might seem ungrounded, subjective and simplistic while an eastern practitioner might live that simplistic idea all their lives, testing it in life's circumstances to see how it is, developing experiential wisdom along the way.


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