How the World Thinks
I recently read ‘How the World Thinks: A global history of philosophy’ by Julian Baggini.
A fantastic, and times challenging, tour of the worlds philosophies. Written for a western audience, this book re-sets western philosophy, in the broader context of global traditions.
Spanning the religious philosophies of the Indian subcontinent; Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. Into East Asia, and particularly the secular confucianism of China and the oral philosophies of Australia and Africa. And compares all these to the rationalism and empiricism of western philosophical thought.
There was much to absorb, but there was a passage in the conclusion that particularly stood out to me:
We can’t know the ultimate nature of reality. And that is ok. Language is an imperfect net in which to catch the world, and ultimately practice is more important than theory. Way seeking, not truth seeking.
Here are the notes I jotted down, that I am keen to revisit, apologies if anyone is offended by this is gross oversimplification:
- China => confucianism => harmony => yinyang => difference in harmony =>virtue=> duty to family and harmonious society => belief in a benevolent hierarchy
Virtue enables a person to live well. Promoting harmony, virtue is the balance of character. Virtue is achieved through self cultivation. Through ritual. Ritual is not in learning but in doing.
- India=>Hinduism/Buddhism => karma => transience and impermanence
Everything is transient. As such meaning can be found in the spaces between things as much as the things themselves. Relations are more fundamental than the items related. This can be seen most clearly in the passing of the seasons.
- Africa=>oral history=>ubuntu=>relational self=>individual context is unique, human condition is ubiquitous
We are who we are because of how we stand to others. There is no atomic self.
