Eastern and Western Philosophers Comparison

When it comes tophilosophy there always has been two ways of thinking throughout this world. There has been the eastern philosophy thought process and there hasbeen the western philosophy thought process. Even though there are two separate types of philosophy, both are gearedtoward directing people in the right direction in their lives. What differs is the way it is taught and the methodologythe philosophers chose to instill their views. In this comparison paper wewill look at some similarities and differences between Confucius (eastern philosopher) and Aristotle (western philosopher). To getstarted we must know some of the background on each of the philosophers.

Confucius is one of the best philosophers to come out of the eastern school of philosophy. He embodied the ancient customs, and lived his life by the Chinese principles that had been establishedmany years prior to him. Confucius was viewedas possessingmany ideals, and this is why different kings sought-after his council for direction. When asked for direction by many emperors, he would advise the point of examples. Confucius believes that leading by example was the only way to lead. He believedthat if these emperors were to live an exceptional life, all their subordinates would do the same.

His main underlying factor when it came to ethics was, “Do to others that you would want done to yourself.” This statement alone was the corner stone of his teachings. Individuals could evaluate the implications of their actions other individuals or on themselves. They could essentially judge what was right or wrong by this statement. He also believed that morality included denying some of the desires of oneself.He did clearly state that this did not mean that it was a denial of all desires; rather certain acts are those that brought happiness to others and self. Confucius stated, “To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness” (Kotelnikov, 2001). With all of this information one can see that Confucius was a righteous man, and he did promote non-violence. Althoughthis is just one view from the east, we must look at the view from the west.

When we talk about western philosophy, Aristotle comes to mind. This man devoted himself to understand and practice virtue. He found through an experience that it was best to fall right