Submitted by: Submitted by Rolanda1639
Views: 326
Words: 708
Pages: 3
Category: Philosophy and Psychology
Date Submitted: 07/13/2012 06:10 PM
When comparing Eastern and Western Philosophers it is evident that these individuals
had different ideas as related to religion, beliefs and God or the lack of God. Western
Philosophers gave personal ideas and proven revelations of the existence of God, truth
and reason. Eastern philosophers gave reason to accept the truth and live to the fullest
with and without.
St. Thomas Aquinas who believed God existed and gave five ways in which it could
be proven. First was the way of motion, according to Aquinas “As we look around the
world and survey moving things, it becomes clear that they did not put themselves into
motion. But if every moving thing were moved by another moving thing, then there
would be no first mover; if no first mover existed, there would be no other mover, and
nothing would be in motion. Because things are in motion, first mover must therefore
exist that is moved by no other, and this, of course, is God”(Moore-Bruder, 2008). This
first idea gives an adequate account of the existence of God. In reference to motion,
moving was not necessarily literal moving but life in general. If nothing changed or
evolved or grew motion would cease. This is not the case everything changes, therefore,
are in motion. No known thing evolved from self, so there has to have been something or
someone to start this process,. This entity is God. The second way states that nothing
causes itself and if all was caused by effects of something else the first cause was caused
by God. These two ways are sufficient proof for most but Aquinas goes on to give three
additional ways to prove his idea of the truth of life and how things came to be.
Eastern philosophers are not trying to prove or find the truth. They are willing to
accept things and seek cause and reason to accept things by finding a way to live in
harmony. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, though born son of a wealthy king, choose...