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East-West Comparative Philosophy III

 Subsequent to the discussion on the comparative philosophy, this post alludes to a synthesis of East, West philosophies leading to Synthetic global philosophy.


As a prelude to the synthesis, let me recall these words of Sri Aurobindo in context of synthesis of ancient Vedantic Yoga philosophies,


"The synthesis we propose cannot, then, be arrived at either by combination in mass or by successive practice. It must there- fore be effected by neglecting the forms and outsides of the Yogic disciplines and seizing rather on some central principle common to all which will include and utilise in the right place and proportion their particular principles, and on some central dynamic force which is the common secret of their divergent methods and capable therefore of organising a natural selection and combination of their varied energies and different utilities." (The Synthesis of Yoga, Volume 23, Collected Works Sri Aurobindo)


One can extend this essence of synthesis into the domain of comparative philosophies where, seizing universal ideals on some central principle common to all (such as Beauty, Goodness, and Truth and every man on earth being allowed to live the fullest inward as well as outward life possible, realizing all the values of life, and enjoying all the human rights) which will include and utilise in the right place and proportion their particular principles. Here divergent differences will not be completely annihilated; but they will acquire right proportion. Values unknown to some cultures will be introduced to them; and if they resonate to the chord of synthetic truth, they will be welcomed with enthusiasm.


Definitely, every man in every country is not a philosopher. But in a limited field his problems get generally solved by leaders. Such leaders will then have a wider perspective than today, offered by synthetic global philosophy. It is for developing the conception of a fuller richer life that a synthetic philosophy is needed, not for cultural dominance of the rest by some part of the world.



Lauding the contribution of such a philosophy P.T Raju says:


"If human life is essentially the same everywhere, if all values of life are to be made accessible to all men, then every culture will develop philosophies that bear essential similarities in thought, outlook, and aim. The aim of comparative philosophy is such cultural synthesis, which implies not dominance but development, not imposition but assimilation, not narrowing of outlook but its broadening, and not limitation of life but its expansion." 


Acknowledging the 'common secret of divergent methods and capable therefore of organising a natural selection and combination of their varied energies and different utilities' he says,


"Philosophical variety is interesting only because the problems of any culture can be problems of all the rest in a more or less pronounced form. If they are less pronounced, imagination knows how to lift them to the level of acuteness and feel their importance. For that very reason, they are comparable, not incomparable. The richness of philosophical variety is not lost if all the real and important problems of life felt everywhere in the world are brought together. Even if the philosopher refuses to do it, actual life does bring them together when cultures meet. If a personal God is necessary for religious consciousness in the West, He is necessary for religious consciousness in India also; and an overwhelming majority of Indians worship a personal God, even when many describe Him as impersonal. If sympathy, human- heartedness, and other such qualities are necessary for a happy social life in China and are even the basis of political life there, they are equally necessary for the West and India. If rational analysis is necessary for understanding man, society, and their environment in the West, it is equally necessary for India and China. If humanism is incomplete without spiritual roots in India, it will be equally incomplete in China and the West."


Further allaying the common fear of a concrete mind especially loss of uniqueness he says,


"Our fear should not be about cultures becoming alike all the world over, but about ignorance, intolerance, and arrogance preventing any life or culture from developing to its full. Full life everywhere does not mean absolute uniformity in every detail. The ideals of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth are everywhere the same. But the peculiarity of each culture lies in how those are embodied in it, and whether they are embodied fully and properly, and also how its members react to them with their sensations, emotions, affections, and volitions. If man is essentially the same everywhere, life's highest ideals also will be the same. If life is full and complete everywhere, differences assume secondary importance."


Such a synthetic philosophy is depicted using Roberto Assagioli's triangle of synthesis.




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