Comparing Hinduism And Taoism

Compare and contrast various views of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism are archaic beliefs that are incorporated into the fabric of the people in East. These systems are profoundly based on nature worship and are much more practical than the more recent and sophisticated religious orders of the West (Roca and Schuh 167). Hinduism is an ancient polytheistic religion that is based on three main deities, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu which symbolically represent creation, preservation and destruction (Roca and Schuh 168).

Buddhism is a continuation of the teachings from Hinduism and involves the main character called Buddha who is believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu the preserver (Roca and Schuh 170).

Even though there are many similarities between Buddhism and Hinduism the main and most important difference is that Buddhism does not worship a god or gods, everyone has the potential to become a Buddha by reaching ultimate enlightenment (Roca and Schuh 170). Lao Tzu was the founder of Taoism; this profound religion maintained that the laws of the universe guided the deeds of humans and these laws were inherent in nature (Roca and Schuh 173).
2. Explain the connection between the Tao, Ying, and Yang.
Tao is an idea based on a grand universal principle and it is represented symbolically by the Ying-Yang symbol (Roca and Schuh 173). This symbol is considered the main component of Taoism and it symbolizes the opposite extremes that are inherent in the universe (Roca and Schuh 173). Both are necessary in creation of the material world which is ultimately a representation of the cosmic reality (Roca and Schuh 173).
All material objects are under the influence of this major principle and form an endless cycle of chaos and order ( Roca and Schuh 173). Male and female principles are also represented from these ideas which further compliment the opposing forces of nature ( Roca and Schuh 173). These forces of the universe are the ultimate reason for things coming into manifestation in the physical realm.
3. Articulate how principles of Taoism serve as the foundation of the art of Feng Shui.
Feng Shui is a physical representation of the principles of Taoism. One of the many interpretations of Feng Shui is that it allows an individual to influence his destiny by secret methods that have been zealously guarded throughout the ages. Many western forms of thought have tried to decipher the ancient methodology but often fail because of the inability to relate to the profound practicality of the eastern mind.
These secret teachings were rarely disclosed to the mundane public and only high ranking persons were allowed the privileged of the ancient art of divination. In many instances the methods helped powerful men maintain their influence and wealth by a variety of ways. Many privileged people were known to pay great sums of money for a mere interpretation of the many complex subjects that Feng Shui buried.
4. Explain the idea of analytic philosophy in contrast with other schools of philosophy.
Analytic philosophy is a much cruder and less majestic method of explaining and solving the problems of the universe today. This philosophy is relatively new when compared to the more ancient ideologies and it incorporates scientific methods like mathematics and logic for its development. This logical, scientific mode of thought is now fully incorporated into every major subject in the western world.
The differences in this evolving ideology and the past forms of thought is still blurred, but the main component of this radical mode of thought is that it is not empirically provable or explainable then it is of little value. This exclusion of conventional explanation for things is a more practical method for solving current problems with society and their branching counterparts. This recent mode of thought creates a more plausible explanation for current universal mysteries. (Roca and Schuh 193-194).
5. Compare and contrast the logical positivist to the natural language theorist.
Logical positivism is a recent ideology that argues that everything can be verified and understood by observation and experiment. Metaphysical questions and ideas are meaningless if they cannot be witnessed and duplicated in an experimental scientific process. This reasoning, in many instances, brings more practical and logical explanations for the most complex paradoxes of today (Roca and Schuh 195-196).
Natural language philosophy is heavily reliant on linguistics and reasons that much of the unexplained problems of today are in misinterpretation of language. Through the ages, different interpretations of philosophical thought have been mistranslated and therefore greatly misunderstood in recent times. Both of these ideologies use logical methods to explain seemingly complex and paradoxical enigmas (Roca and Schuh 197).
6. Explain the role of the “Vienna circle” in the history of analytic philosophy.
The “Vienna Circle” was a group of philosophers that decided to explain many problems of philosophy by logic and reason. These people sprang up in the early twentieth century and led their logic by focusing on empirical proofs that can be expanded by the practical use of language. In many ways, these radical thinkers disregarded basic philosophical principles and thought that they could interpret deep spiritual truths in a more literal sense.
It was soon realized that strictly empirical methods have plenty of shortcomings and that considerable thought should be dedicated to more conventional methods of interpretation. Language alone, and the ideas it portrays are too abstract to properly interpret ancient philosophical axioms. Logic can only get a person to a certain extent in terms of properly conceptualizing universal truths (Roca and Schuh 196).
7. Articulate the main themes found in existentialism.
First, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel was a unique philosopher who developed the introductory idea that is currently known as Existentialism (Roca and Schuh 219). The Hegelian dialectic consisted of an essence that could be called mind or spirit (Roca and Schuh 219). This subjective idea was constantly manifesting itself by way of a never ending “order out of chaos” in which both phases were essential for the sustenance of the physical plain (Roca and Schuh 219).
Second theme, this train of thought was essential for humanity because it provided a different perspective in which man can better understand the condition he is in (Roca and Schuh 220). By examining certain details of mundane human existence, Hegel was able to introduce a logical way of comprehending our existence which he ultimately called phenomenology. Because of the unique methodology he used to try to explain man’s irrational behavior throughout history, he is considered the ancestor of modern phenomenology and existential philosophy (Roca and Schuh 220).
Third existentialism, Edmund Husserl brought his own meaning and understanding from Hegel’s foundational framework. Also known as the father of Phenomenology, Husserl was of the impression that intention was the crown of existence which acted as a conveyor belt between the self and the environment and ultimately portrayed both as one. This intentionality, in turn deeply influenced people like Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus who brought existentialism to the forefront of philosophy in the early 20th century (Roca and Schuh 221).
The fourth theme a follower of Husserl, yet with his own unique take on things, Jean-Paul Sartre became a leading figure of French existentialism.

Sartre took the Husserl’s idea of consciousness being inseparable from the world itself, and developed his own philosophy in which he considered material reality as knowable and concrete but humans, on the other hand, cannot be deduced in the same way. Sartre believed that is was a human’s presence that ultimately gave physical reality a vehicle for defining itself (Roca and Schuh 224). Sartre is also known for his remarkable work towards woman’s rights and inequalities of every kind that were relevant then and of greatest importance

today.
A fifth existentialism theme picked up momentum and became an avenue for the arts in the 20th century. It inspired classic works of art which include the novels of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Miguel de Unamuno and Franz Kafka to name a few (Roca and Schuh 225). The cinema is where existentialism found its greatest appeal, the inescapable fact of suffering and searching for meaning was a major theme that most audiences could directly relate to (Roca and Schuh 226).
And lastly, Albert Camus was a great philosopher and humanist who contributed to the well being of struggling people in Europe in the mid 1900’s.

He was against violence of any kind when it was used as a means to create change. He adamantly believed that the intellectual of his time should be willing to understand his current situation in life no matter how obscure and mundane and it is and also to strive to improve his condition (Roca and Schuh 227).

8. Explain why Kierkegaard and Dostoyevsky are considered predecessors of existentialism.

Dostoyevsky was a great philosopher and writer and portrayed his beliefs through the powerful books that he wrote. He was of the belief that, people ultimately choose to believe because the fear and loneliness of uncertainty in the world. Kierkegaard, on the other hand reasoned that it should always be choice and not necessity that leads a person to something profound as living by a moral code.

Most existentialists are atheists; they reason that a certain sense of responsibility is adopted when choosing to be independent of a deity and the entire obligation that comes with it. They firmly stay grounded on the theory that it is the mind and intelligence that springs from matter. Both modes of thought consisted of a logical reasoning that tried to extinguish the anxiety of not knowing the nature of the divine ( Roca and Schuh

217-218).
9. Critically analyze Husserl’s phenomenology and how it informed existentialism.
Husserl’s understanding of philosophy was a blending of old and new modes of thought. He went back to the notion that consciousness was at the root of intention in every aspect of reality. It was also believed that the knower was one with the known and so he makes it clear that existentialism needs to be revised and carefully rethought.
Husserl helped revolutionize existentialism by putting more emphasis and attention on life experiences. This ideology led the way for future philosophers to go back to the self and pay attention to how it was relating them to the world. His interpretation expanded on the idea of divine possibilities and interpretation which ultimately created a broader base for interested minds (Roca and Schuh 222).
10. Explain the meaning of being and nothingness according to Sartre.
Sartre’s expounded on existentialism and directed the ideology into new and less rigorous modes of thinking. According to Sartre everything except human being were considered something in terms of physical substance. What differentiates humans from everything else on the planet is that they cannot be defined and are not constituted by the same methods as physical matter.
He points out an interesting aspect of pure existentialism in that it is “bad faith” to merely state that humans are just physical objects in this existence. Our consciousness is what creates our reality and is much more profound than mere matter that springs forth some kind of intelligence. He was of the idea that the divine works in ways that reveal subtle truths without the limitations of logic.