THE ORIENTAL SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY
INTRODUCTION
-Chandogya, Upanishad
Westerners often find the Oriental mind and philosophy bewildering. Unlike the West, the oriental mind is not limited to compartmentalize. It is fluid and flourishing; it is diversified and not rigid; it is profound and enigmatic. It is not merely a study of life but a way of life per per se. For the wisdom of the oriental ancients can never be dismissed, and up to the postmodern time, their philosophies are being perpetuated in classic, novel and variant ways and forms.
In Hindu Philosophy, the Indian thinkers of antiquity viewed philosophy as a practical necessity that needed to be cultivated in order to understand how life can best be led. It became a custom for Indian writers to explain at the beginning of philosophical works how it serves human ends (purusartha). the discussion on Hindu philosophy is divided into six orthodox and three heterodox school of though.
While Chinese philosophers aim at the highest life - a life that is both this - worldly and other-worldly. The man who has achieved this is called a sage. The character of a sage is one of "Sageliness within, Kingliness without". that is to say, a sage is one who accomplishes spiritual cultivation (inner sageliness) but functions in society (outward kingliness) as a noble, humane, responsive exemplar. (Villaba, 1996) This is an attempt to explain the realities of man and manifested the practical wisdom drawn from the experiences of man. Practical truth is attained by the use of practical reason. And this richness of truth on the art of living is measured on the basis of how that practical wisdom is able to enrich man as an individual and as integral part of the society. (Co, 2005).
Oriental Philosopher List
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Chinese Social Philosopher