INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN

PHILOSOPHY
Discussant : ROMHEL C. ODTOHAN
Course : Ph. D. in Educational Management
Subject : Asian Philosophy
Professor : DOLORITA P. DEL ROSARIO Ph.d.
Trimester : 3rd Trimester, 2018- 2019
OBJECTIVES

Understand and appreciate the origins of Asian

Philosophy;
Recognize the various Asian philosophies and their
fundamental role (at a glance) in shaping the minds and
ways of the Asian people;
Extrapolate the idea that Asian philosophy fosters positive
thinking for a better life and way of living.
MEANING OF PHILOSOPHY

The word philosophy is of Greek origin

and means literally “love of or friendship
for wisdom”.
Shows us at once that philosophy is an
intrinsic expression of human nature.
FOUR MAIN BRANCHES

1. Metaphysics – the study of existence and

nature of reality;
2. Epistemology – the study of knowledge,
and how and what we know;
FOUR MAIN BRANCHES

3. Ethics – the study of how people should

act, and what is good and valuable; and
4. Aesthetics – the study of basic
philosophical questions about art and
beauty
TWO MORE BRANCHES

Logic = the study of good reasoning, by

valid inference and demonstration; and
Political Philosophy = the study of how
people should interact in a proper
society.
OTHER BRANCHES

 Philosophy of Mind – the study of the nature of mind, consciousness,

etc.
 Philosophy of Religion – the study of the nature of religion, God, evil,
prayer, etc.
 Philosophy of Language – the study of the nature, origins, and usage
of language.
OTHER BRANCHES

Philosophy of Education – the study of the

purpose, process, nature and ideals of
education.
Philosophy of History – the study of the eventual
significance, if any, of human history.
OTHER BRANCHES

Philosophy of Science – the study of the

assumptions, foundations, and implications of
science.
 THE STUDY OF ASIAN PHILOSOPHY

 Rooted in the Grecian past; no simple feat (in terms of exercise &
appreciation)
 Engenders an oriental philosophical system that is totally different
and incongruent with its Western forebears.
 Relegated as a special study, an elective
 Relegated to a mere curiosity
 In studying this, one had to contend with the impact it absorbed
from various Western influences (culture, political theories, and
even religious beliefs)
FROM OCCIDENTAL TO ORIENTAL THOUGHT

Paradigm shift is due to the acquisition of

Asian communities and culture - primary
reign in the global debate about our role in
this plane of existence
Worth remembering

While classical thought has settled on the

stagnant search for man’s place, Oriental thought
has from the start accepted that the place of
man is to cultivate a progressive and positive
relationship with his environment.
THROUGH THE LOOKING CLASS
Asian Philosophy at a Glance

Asian Philosophy is called oriental thought (sui generis)

In the Christian West, Orientalism is considered to have
commenced its formal existence with the decision of
the Church Council in Vienne in 1312 to establish a
series of chairs in “Arabic, Greek, Hebrew and Syriac at
Paris, Oxford, Bologna, Avignon, and Salamanca.”
Asian Philosophical Inquiries

What are Asian ways of thinking?

What are Asian sources of wisdom?
What forms and moves these
philosophical developments in Asia?
Asian Philosophical Inquiries

As we seek answers to such questions as

these, we may discover options to our own
initial answers to questions about self, world,
and values that drive our own lives.
 ASIAN PHILOSOPHY DEFINED

Google and Wikipedia define Asian or Oriental or Easter

philosophy as encompassing the various philosophies
that originated in East and South Asia including Chinese
philosophy, Japanese philosophy, and Korean
philosophy which are dominant in South Asia, Southeast
Asia, Tibet and Mongolia.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

A. Indian Philosophy – Buddhism; Hinduism

(Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and wide
spectrum of laws and prescriptions of “daily
morality” based on karma, dharma, and societal
norms).
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

B. Buddhist Philosophies – began with the

thoughts of Gautama Buddha and are
reserved in the early Buddhist texts. Dominant
philosophical tradition is found in Tibet and
Southeast Asian countries like Sri Lanka and
Burma.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

B. Confucianism – also known as “Ruism”, is a

Chinese philosophical system with ritual,
moral, and religious applications.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

C. Legalism – was a philosophical tradition

which focused on laws, realpolitik and
bureaucratic management.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

D. Taoism – is a term for various philosophies

and religious systems which emphasize
harmony with the Tao which is seen as the
principle which is the source, pattern and
substance of everything that exists.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

D. Modern Japanese Thought – is strongly

influenced by Western science and
philosophy. Japan’s rapid modernization was
partly aided by the early study of western
science during the Edo Period.
MAJOR SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

E. Korean – Juche, usually translated as “self-

reliance”, is the official political ideology of
North Korea, described by the regime as Kim
II-Sung’s original, brilliant, and revolutionary
contribution to national and international
thought.
Thank you for listening!!!