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Eastern Philosophers
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Confucius
Biography: Confucius (551–479 BCE) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher. Philosophical views: He emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity. His philosophy is known as Confucianism.
Laozi
Biography: Laozi, also known as Lao-Tzu or Lao-Tze, was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer, considered the founder of philosophical Taoism. Philosophical views: He proposed the concept of Tao and the importance of naturalness, spontaneity, and simplicity.
Zhuangzi
Biography: Zhuangzi (c. 369–286 BCE), also known as Zhuang Zhou, was a Chinese philosopher who flourished during the Warring States period. Philosophical views: His work, the Zhuangzi, is considered one of the foundational texts of Taoism, advocating for a life of simplicity and non-action.
Mencius
Biography: Mencius, or Mengzi (372–289 BCE), was a Chinese Confucian philosopher. Philosophical views: He believed in the innate goodness of human nature and advocated for benevolent governance and moral development through self-cultivation.
Sun Tzu
Biography: Sun Tzu was an ancient Chinese military strategist, traditionally believed to be the author of "The Art of War," a widely influential work on military strategy. Philosophical views: Though focused on war, his strategies emphasize the importance of adaptability, deception, and efficient use of resources.
Mozi
Biography: Mozi (c. 470–391 BCE), also known as Mo Di, was a Chinese philosopher who founded the school of Mohism. Philosophical views: Mozi's philosophy emphasized universal love, meritocratic governance, and practicality.
Han Fei
Biography: Han Fei (c. 280–233 BCE) was an ancient Chinese philosopher and leading figure of the Legalist school. Philosophical views: He believed in strict laws, centralized power, and an autocratic government as the means to ensure order and stability.
Xunzi
Biography: Xunzi (c. 310–235 BCE) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who argued against Mencius' view that human nature is good. Philosophical views: He believed human nature is bad and that moral and social order are achieved through education and proper ritual.
Wang Yangming
Biography: Wang Yangming (1472–1529) was a Chinese idealist Neo-Confucian philosopher and official. Philosophical views: He developed the philosophy of the unity of knowledge and action, stressing the importance of moral intuition and the unity of all things.
Kumārajīva
Biography: Kumārajīva (344–413 CE) was a Kuchean Buddhist monk, scholar, and translator who contributed to the spread of Buddhism in China. Philosophical views: He is noted for the quality of his translations of Buddhist texts, which helped convey complex Indian philosophical ideas to a Chinese audience.
Dogen
Biography: Dogen (1200–1253) was a Japanese Buddhist priest, writer, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Soto school of Zen. Philosophical views: Dogen emphasized zazen, or sitting meditation, and the practice of mindfulness as paths to enlightenment.
Hakuin Ekaku
Biography: Hakuin Ekaku (1686–1769) was a Japanese Zen Buddhist monk and revitalizer of the Rinzai school. Philosophical views: His teachings focused on the importance of the kōan practice for achieving enlightenment and insight into one's true nature.
Linji Yixuan
Biography: Linji Yixuan (died 866 CE) was the founder of the Linji school of Chán Buddhism in China, which became Rinzai Zen in Japan. Philosophical views: He stressed the instantaneous nature of enlightenment and promoted 'shock' techniques to jolt students into realizations.
Huineng
Biography: Huineng (638–713 CE) was the sixth and last patriarch of Chán Buddhism in China. Philosophical views: He advocated the 'sudden' school of enlightenment and the idea that enlightenment is a state of mind accessible to all, irrespective of formal study or learning.
Nagarjuna
Biography: Nagarjuna (c. 150–250 CE) was an Indian Buddhist philosopher and the founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Philosophical views: He conducted critical analyses of Buddhist philosophy, leading to his doctrine of the 'emptiness' (Śūnyatā) of all phenomena.
Vasubandhu
Biography: Vasubandhu (4th–5th century CE) was an Indian Buddhist monk and one of the most prominent figures in the Yogācāra school. Philosophical views: He proposed the theory of 'consciousness-only' (vijñapti-mātratā), which posits that reality is a projection of the mind.
Dharmakirti
Biography: Dharmakirti (c. 7th century) was an Indian scholar and Buddhist philosopher who worked on logic and epistemology. Philosophical views: He contributed significantly to Buddhist logic and is considered one of the key thinkers in the pramāṇa (instrument of knowledge) tradition.
Atisha
Biography: Atisha (982–1054 CE) was an Indian Buddhist teacher who played a major role in the diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet. Philosophical views: He is known for reintroducing pure Buddhism in Tibet and for his teachings that became the basis for the Tibetan practice of lojong (mind training).
Padmasambhava
Biography: Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century Buddhist master credited with establishing Buddhism in Tibet. Philosophical views: His teachings laid the foundation for Nyingma, the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, and he is revered as the 'second Buddha' in Tibetan culture.
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Biography: Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975) was an Indian philosopher, writer, and statesman. He was the second President of India. Philosophical views: He advocated for the philosophical idea of Advaita Vedanta and worked to spread Indian philosophy and religion to the Western world.
Nishida Kitaro
Biography: Nishida Kitaro (1870–1945) was a Japanese philosopher and founder of the Kyoto School. Philosophical views: His philosophy integrates Western philosophy with Eastern thought, particularly Zen, and his concept of 'pure experience' is a cornerstone of his work.
Swami Vivekananda
Biography: Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) was an Indian Hindu monk and a key figure in introducing Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. Philosophical views: He emphasized spirituality, social reform, and a synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas.
Adi Shankara
Biography: Adi Shankara (788–820 CE), also known as Shankaracharya, was an Indian philosopher and theologian who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. Philosophical views: His works elucidate the non-dualistic aspect of Brahman and critique the dualistic interpretations of Vedanta.
Ramanuja
Biography: Ramanuja (1017–1137 CE) was a Hindu theologian, philosopher, and one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. Philosophical views: He advocated for the concept of qualified non-dualism (Vishishtadvaita), stressing the unity of the soul with God while maintaining a distinction.
Madhvacharya
Biography: Madhvacharya (1238–1317 CE) was an Indian philosopher and the chief proponent of the Dvaita (dualism) school of Vedanta. Philosophical views: He argued that God (Vishnu) is distinct from the individual soul, and upheld a strict dualistic interpretation of the Vedanta.
Abhinavagupta
Biography: Abhinavagupta (c. 950–1020 CE) was an influential Indian philosopher, mystic, and aesthetician in the Kashmir Shaivism tradition. Philosophical views: He wrote extensively on the non-dualistic philosophy known as Pratyabhijna (recognition school) and on the art of drama, poetry, and dance.
Gaudapada
Biography: Gaudapada (c. 6th century CE) was an early Indian Vedantic philosopher and a precursor to Shankara in the Advaita Vedanta tradition. Philosophical views: He is known for his Mandukya Karika, a commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad, where he sets out the doctrine of non-dualism or Ajativada.
Gorakhnath
Biography: Gorakhnath (c. 11th century) was a Hindu yogi, saint, and the founder of the Nath tradition. Philosophical views: His teachings focus on liberation through yoga, and he is considered an important figure in the Hatha yoga tradition.
Bodhidharma
Biography: Bodhidharma (c. 5th–6th century CE) was a Buddhist monk traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chán Buddhism to China. Philosophical views: He is associated with the teaching that 'directly pointing to the mind reveals one's true nature and achieves Buddhahood'.
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