What is the difference between Western philosophy and Eastern philosophy?

Answer 1

Yin and Yang!

In a nutshell, Western philosophy tends to focus on rigorous, logical proof of existence. Whereas, Eastern, tends to accept existence and focus on how to live.

Answer 2

These are huge generalizations, but how else can I answer?

Eastern philosophy is not divorced from religious belief. They are seen as the same; intellectual thought is also edifying and salvific. There is also the tendency to collapse differences into wholeness, thus good and evil are illusions as is the distinction between you and I.

Western philosophy is analytical in a different way. It's strategy is parsing this from that as a means to truth. Yet truth and spirituality are not the same. Also, western philosphy is interested the nature of being, what grounds existence, more than how to "cure" our problems.

Eastern philosophy starts with "why is there suffering?"
Western philosophy starts with "why and how am I here?"

Answer 3

Western Philosophy is prescriptive, Eastern Philosophy inspires introspection.

Answer 4

The biggest difference I find is that Western philosophy is very man-centric while eastern is far more holistic.

Answer 5

The difference is pretty simple. eastern philosophy is basically about accepting you with your flaws, and western is more of a materialistic approach

Answer 6

eastern philosophy is better. that's the difference.

Answer 7

magdalene,
Easterners look for their God & salvation inside themselves, Westerners are more pragmatic & less theoratical.

Answer 8

Very little.
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