Confucius

[Didymos Thomas]

Full Text of Lun Yun - English

Thought I would drop a link to the Analects.

Confucius was an ethical and political philosopher of a sort not seen in the west until Aristotle, some 200 years later. His imprint on eastern thought compares to that of Lao Tzu and the Buddha.

Before we devote ourselves to the intense study of some western tradition, shouldn't we at least acquaint ourselves with the equally significant traditions found in the east? I think so, and Confucius is a great place for westerners to begin their study of eastern thought.

Confucius is insightful, original and witty.

[Ron C. de Weijze]

Before we devote ourselves to the intense study of some western tradition, shouldn't we at least acquaint ourselves with the equally significant traditions found in the east?

Sure we must, but not until we need to do so in studying our own heritage.

[Didymos Thomas]

Sure we must, but not until we need to do so in studying our own heritage.

That's the thing, though - we get caught up in 'our heritage' that we ignore other cultures and other perspectives. We are all human, thus the work of Confucius is part of our heritage.

I see absolutely no sense in these cultural blinders we keep for ourselves. Unless there is value in divisiveness, cultural exclusion and cultural elitism, we have an obligation to look outside of our own culture for ideas and perspectives.

[GoshisDead]

I think westerners would be much more well rounded were they to study Lao Tsu and Confucius

[Ron C. de Weijze]

Originally Posted by Didymos Thomas

That's the thing, though - we get caught up in 'our heritage' that we ignore other cultures and other perspectives. We are all human, thus the work of Confucius is part of our heritage.

I see absolutely no sense in these cultural blinders we keep for ourselves. Unless there is value in divisiveness, cultural exclusion and cultural elitism, we have an obligation to look outside of our own culture for ideas and perspectives.

Getting caught up and blinders are not the same as being inspired by and enlightenment. If you want to become Chinese, then by all means study Confucius. Division is different from differentiation and analysis after integration and synthesis where one must be so humble as to know one's own place in the scheme of things (cultural history).

[Didymos Thomas]

Getting caught up and blinders are not the same as being inspired by and enlightenment. If you want to become Chinese, then by all means study Confucius. Division is different from differentiation and analysis after integration and synthesis where one must be so humble as to know one's own place in the scheme of things (cultural history).

I don't see the logic here. Why should we be Chinese to study Confucius? Does Confucius, along with any non-western thinker, offer nothing to westerners?

And how far do we go with this idea you present? Should I only study American thinkers because I'm an American?

I really have a hard time buying into being humble enough to not study eastern philosophy. Takes a great deal of arrogance to suggest we ignore the philosophy of other cultures in favor of our own culture. I'm not French, but I have read Descartes. I'm not Greek, but I've read Aristotle and Plato.

Especially consider the vast spread of people from all parts of the world. Chinese live in my country, and I'm sure there are Chinese in your country. So lets be humble enough to study other cultures instead of elevating our own culture as the only one worth our study.

[Ron C. de Weijze]

We should not be Chinese to study Confucius, but study Confucius to be Chinese.
You should study American beliefs to confidently respond to other cultures.
Know thyself it says above the Temple of Delphi. First know you own place in this world, then learn about others'. That is arrogance nor cultural and moral nihilism/pessimism.

[urangutan]

By the same token Ron C. de Weijze, did you know all the history of your family before you found the reasoning for the borders that seperate Holland from the rest of the world. The advent of the wheel spread from one place do you know its history, would you still use it if you found it was not of this world, are you an ancient Athenean, that you can claim of their Gods and their culture to expunge the opinion of another. I am of a lonely corner of the globe. Our history is a page in the light of other worlds, we have no conflictive borders, so what should I study, European history, Asiain as we are part there of or something else all together.

[Aedes]

Originally Posted by GoshisDead

I think westerners would be much more well rounded were they to study Lao Tsu and Confucius

And the Lotus Sutra, and the Dhammapada, and the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads, just to name a few!

[Ron C. de Weijze]

Urangutan, if you mean that we can learn from each other and assimilate each others' habits, then sure I agree. The problem is just how to omit and stay far away from contagious copying behavior for the sake of power accumulation and the spread of dogmatism across the globe (fascism, communism, socialism, islamism).