Seeking fundamental truths about the nature of human behaviour, the world around us and the bond between humans and the world is essentially what philosophy is about. Originating in ancient Greece in the 6th Century BC, there are seven branches of philosophy which are:
1. Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of reality,
2. Axiology: The study of the nature of valuation and value.
3. Logic: The study of the types of logic and nature.
4. Aesthetics: The study of beauty and taste
5. Epistemology: The study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
6. Ethics: Study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour
7. Political Philosophy: Study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions
Both philosophy and spirituality share a shared foundation of seeking truth. They both go hand in hand with understanding the meaning of life, death and the struggles people go through. Although both spirituality and philosophy are closely related there does however exist a very thin line between the two.
Philosophy is based on a cognitive and rational approach to seeking truth about human existence and experience. Spirituality is related to the soul whereas philosophy is related to the brain. Spirituality is based on an effective and emotional approach to seeking the truth about human existence. Philosophy is on the other hand a thought process. Spirituality is directly connected to the soul.
Some of the world-famous philosophers are Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Descartes, Confucius, Dante, Pascal, Voltaire, etc. While Eastern philosophy is mainly concerned with thinking that is majorly spiritual and mystical in nature, western thinking is scientific, rational, logical, materialistic and individualistic.
The earliest Indian philosophical texts constitute the Vedic tradition. The four Vedas are the oldest of the Hindu scriptures: the Rigveda, The Samaveda, the Yajurveda and Atharvaveda.
There are six major schools of Vedic philosophy: Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta. Besides this, there are also five major heterodox schools – Jains, Buddhists, Ajivika, Ajnana and Charvaka.
1. Nyaya: This is a philosophy which focuses on logic and epistemology.
2. Vaisheshika: This is closely related to the Nyaya school and focuses on the metaphysics of substance and defending a theory of atoms. They only accept two pramanas ( proof and means of knowledge)– perception and inference.
3. Samkhya: This is a philosophy which regards the universe as consisting of two independent realities – purusa (the perceiving consciousness) and Prakriti ( perceived reality including mind, perception kleshas (impurities) and matter).
4. Yoga: A school which is similar to Samkhya and even accepts a personal god, this branch is philosophy focuses on yogic practices.
5. Purvva Mimasa: This school focuses on the exegesis of the Vedas, philology (the study of languages in oral and written historical sources) and the interpretation of the Vedic ritual.
6. Vedanta: Also known as Uttara Mimamsa, this school focuses on interpreting the philosophies of the Upanishads – specifically the soteriological and metaphysical ideas relating to Atman and Brahman. (Atman is the microcosm of the universe, Brahman is the macrocosm of the Ultimate Reality and the Supreme Being of God.)
S. Shankaracharya is known as the father of Indian Philosophy. There are many shared concepts between the different Indian philosophies such as dharma, karma, samsara, dukkha, renunciation and meditation. The ultimate goal of every philosophy is the liberation of the individual from dukkha and samsara through many different spiritual practices.
While a philosophical system may develop independently it is usually in response to a religion. It is when religion fails to fully answer people’s questions or address their needs that people turn to philosophy.
There are many different philosophies which also originated across the world. Some of them are Persian philosophy, Chinese philosophy and Greek philosophy.
Persian philosophy: Iranian or Persian philosophy can be traced to Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts which originated in ancient Indo-Iranian roots and were considerably influenced by Zarathustra’s (founder of Zoroastrianism) teachings. The main school predominant in Persian philosophy is Zorvanism. Ibn Sina is known to be the father of Persian philosophy.
Japanese Philosophy: A fusion of Shinto and continental religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism There are 7 Japanese concepts to our life: Ikigai, Shikitogai, Wabi Sabi, Gaman, Obitouri, Kaizen and Shu-ha-ri. Nishida Kitarō is known as the father of Japanese philosophy. Nishida Kitarō is known to be the most important modern Japanese philosopher.
Chinese philosophy: Initially a response to social disorder as well as the failure of religious beliefs to explain to the world and reassure people of a divine plan. Confucius and Taoism were major Chinese philosophers and had their own schools.
Korean philosophy: This branch focuses on the totality of worldview. Certain aspects of Shamanism, Buddhism and Neo-Confucianism have been integrated into Korean philosophy. Traditional Korean thought has been influenced by many religious and thought systems over the years. As the main influences on life in Korea, Korean Shamanism, Korean Taoism, Korean Buddhism, Korean Confucianism and Silhak movements have shaped Korean life and thought. The Korean philosophy focuses on self-cultivation, character building, and leadership in a community for the sake of promoting the public good. Yi I is known to be one of the prominent Korean philosophers.
Vietnam philosophy: Vietnam Philosophy includes traditional Confucian philosophy, Vietnamese local religious traditions and later philosophy introducing Marxist, French, Catholic and other influences. The founder is Ho Chi Minh.
Sikh philosophy: Developed by Guru Nanak during the Mughal period, the main scripture is the Guru Granth Sahib. The main beliefs include constant spiritual meditation on the name of God, being guided by a Guru, rather than giving into whims, living in a household rather than a monastic life and Dharam (morality/righteousness).
Greek Philosophy: Consisting mainly of the concepts of Pre-Socratic and Socratic philosophy. It analysed and theorised several ideas such as moral and ethical issues and human nature. This philosophy held that gods had created the world and human beings and questioned this basic premise.
Islamic philosophy: Islamic philosophy is practised in Islamic countries, the Middle East and North Africa. It is most closely associated with Western philosophy. There are five major branches of Islamic philosophy: Sunni, Shi’a, Ibadi, Ahmadiyya and Sufism. Al-Kindi is the first important Islamic philosopher.
Confucianism: An ancient Chinese belief system, it focuses on the importance of personal ethics and morality. The founder of Confucianism was a man named Kong Qi. He later was known as Kong Fuzi, or Master Kong. In the West, he is called Confucius.
Taoism also known as Daoism teaches that all living creatures must live in a state of harmony with the universe and the energy found in it. Laozi (Lao Tzu) is the founder of the Taoist philosophy.
Buddhism: Containing both philosophical reasoning and meditation, Buddhist philosophy follows many different paths to liberation. Gautama Buddha is known to be the founder of this philosophy. The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of his teachings.
They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. Buddhists follow the eightfold path to develop moral behaviour, knowledge and mental discipline. It consists of proper understanding, purpose, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.
It is the decision and also the ‘indecisions’ that MAKE our life go the way we want it to go. Embracing change and uncertainty is the only way forward. Which philosophy do you choose?
