Position:Home>Philosophy> How Many of you had Studied Western Philosophy? what is Significance and Benefit

A brief and impressionistic answer:


"Kongling" is a Chinese philosophical term meaning "emptiness and spirituality!."

Western philosophy is a series of declinations from "kongling" or apeironic/Parmenidean oneness into delimited physics, chemistry, and so on: sciences which focus on material things, neither empty nor spiritual!.

The best Western philosophy tends to unify both Spirit and Matter, in the sense of Plato's under-standing Ideas and Forms, Plotinus' One Mind Soul-individuation, Husserl's epoche, Whitehead's process, and the like!.

Wittgenstein held that philosophy either viewed science as a topic, or was subsumed within it, depending on the philosopher!.

Descartes viewed philosophy as supplying physics and the sciences with a supportive perspective!.

Tanabe, a Japanese philosopher who studied with Husserl and Heidegger, developed a philosophy of the Void ("emptiness") which permits a kind of "spirituality!." This is more profound than Sartre's circular or autopoietic existential awareness, which developed about the same time, and from the same (Husserlian) teachings!.

The history of Western philosophy is a kind of search among things material for what is; as later Heidegger noted, nothing is, save the intimations of light released in mystic poetry (Hoederlin)!. This is basically equivalent to kongling, or "emptiness and spirituality!."

After a long Western mastering of things material, the other two sides of the triangle--essential non-permanence of things, and a Kierkegaardian awareness of "God is in this non-permanence," find a denouement as the three spheres of Kierkegaard: the Aesthetic existential nowness of things, the Ethical awareness of things' value (including their manipulability, or "sciens"), and the "God is in this place" of the third vitality or Religious sphere!.

What some Chinese and other philosophy emphasizes: the "emptiness or non-permanence" and the "spiritual" associated with realization of same--is Kierkegaard's latter two spheres; the added value of Western philosophy, including its spun-off sciences, is Kierkegaard's Aesthetic sphere of material experience and (the reflective or "Ethical") mastery of same!.

What Chinese thinking such as Confucius', Mencius', and Chu Hsi's tends to emphasize, namely li or permanent Virtue, and ch'i or mutable +/-, is found in Western philosophy-***-science!. However, Western philosophy tends to emphasize the ch'i and, while seeking to establish the li--primarily in a physis framing--does not as much emphasize the kongling or Void-spiritual element, as do some Chinese, Hindu, and Japanese philosophies!. This general distinction is similar to the Eastern hemisphere as right brainness, and the Western hemisphere as left brainness!. These categories are so overlapped as to be almost superficial; however, your question was framed in such broad general terms!.

"A Philosophy of Universality," O!. M!. Aivanhov;
"Nihilism," Father Seraphim Rose!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Yes I have studied western philosophy and eastern mysticism, mainly Buddhist, touched on Hinduism, Jainism!.

What are its benefits - off hand I'd say that it sharpens & disiplins your critical capacity!. This helps you to look deeper into the meaning of words, concepts, etc!. This helps you to overcome the tendancy we have to assume we are very knowledgable!. Apart from the intellectual advantages of helping you to analyse your thoughts, what you and others say, and so on!., its basic use of logic can be helpful in everyday life too!.

No, its not the answer to everything, but if you study it it will help you to understand what an answer is, what the word everything means, what it means to mean something!. I could go on!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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The west sees a better future from the individual
viewpoint, but it is far from selfish b/c its not only your future
self, but the future self of everyone individually!. Life is seen as
a personal journey where help is welcome but is for us to gain
advantage The reason we help others is for them and only
secondarily for ourselves!.

You can learn how everyone has rights which surpass the rights of the community as a whole!. We are not bees working for the hive, b/c we also work for individual benefits!. If you can advance yourself, you are at a better position to help others!. This idea of the other is of multiple persons, not of "the people"!.

also, how can studying other ideas not be beneficial!? Knowing various views can only make your personal decision more informed, and have a better foundation!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Western philosophy is simple!. Get what you can, while you can, from who you can, and give nothing!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com

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there is no significance and there are no benefitsWww@QuestionHome@Com

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