Philosophy in East and West

Extract

Until recently most Europeans imagined that ‘history of thought’ and ‘development of Western civilisation’ were almost the same thing. The development of Western thought was seen as a coherent whole and as the only one that mattered both for the present and the future. Hence Western scholars quite naively judged Indian and Chinese thought by their own standards.

Eastern achievements in religion and philosophy appeared on the horizon of our spiritual world as strange, attractive phenomena. To see a Chinese work of art is, indeed, an exciting experience. But, in our culture, art has a place apart ; we can enjoy these astonishing creations without identifying ourselves with the particular feeling for life which is embodied in them. In the same way some ancient Eastern religious and philosophical writings appealed to moderns who, though rather sceptical in matters of religious creed and dogmas, yet regarded mystical experience of the Infinite as the core of religion. The documents of early Indian metaphysics—the so-called Upanishads—were interpreted in this romantic way as remnants of ‘a far off, ancient household of the soul.’ Of the rich philosophical literature of China one book has become popular in Western Europe since it was discovered in the last century : the so-called Tao Te ching, the title indicating that its subject is both the Absolute and absolute, or perfect, action. This short but great book, composed about the end of the creative period of ancient Chinese philosophy (3rd century B.C.), was accepted as the embodiment of a primaeval metaphysic that could be regarded as mysticism. Translated again and again in nearly all Western languages, it has obtained a definite place in what is called ‘World Literature.’