Fallacies of Eastern Thought

July 23, 2007 | Filed Under Small Talk 

I’ve long been enamored with Eastern Thought. I know that there are many varieties of Eastern philosophies and ways of life, so I apologize from the very beginning for lumping them into a single category. But communication requires simplification.

The most appealing aspect of Eastern Thought, to me, has been the idea that almost all negative emotion is derived from the illusion that the individual has more control over his or her circumstance than he or she really does. In other words, “if only I had done X” or “I can’t believe she did Y” - these thoughts can often make a person angry, bitter, etc. And the fact is that one cannot change what happened in the past. Nor does one have much if any control over the decisions of others.

The truth of the matter is that often times we do self-indulge in counterfactual emotions for far too long, and the only effect that they have is usually self-destructive (this is one of the reasons that forgiveness is so powerful).

So Eastern Thought, on the whole, I think, has much wisdom to offer, especially in regards to seeking peace in one’s life. But I also think that it is fundamentally flawed, keeps people from living full human lives, and brings people who take it far enough to disregard the intrinsic value of interpersonal relations. In other words, I think Eastern Thought is not flawed just for the realist, but for anyone who thinks that persons and individuals are fundamental to the Universe, as opposed to illusory.

Talk to anyone who’s enamored with Eastern Thought and the first thing they will probably say to you to convince you of the truth of their views goes something like this: “Take a deep breath. Now breathe out. Notice that you and the Universe are one. That there is no fundamental boundary between you and the universe. As you breathe in, you breathe in the Universe, you are the Universe and the Universe is you.” The key idea is that the perceived separation between you and the Universe as well as you and Others, is an illusion. To achieve enlightenment and wisdom, one really spends the rest of one’s life overcoming this illusion and recognizing the true nature of the Universe.

In fact, a fundamental piece of knowledge in Eastern traditions is to recognize that the processes going on inside your body are exemplary of the processes going on in the Universe. That you become one with the Universe by knowing it through your own body.

What I’m offering here is not an argument, but a reason for rejecting the full blown doctrines of Eastern Thought while appreciating the truths that it speaks of.

The gist of my reason is this: that individuals are fundamental, basic constructs of reality, that living a full, fulfilling life requires an appreciation of relations between individuals, respect and love for the other, and that the thought experiments designed to convince you otherwise are logically flawed.

It is my view that a rejection of the fundamental existence of individuals in one’s ontology is, at its core, selfish and individualistic. Now, those attributes aren’t seen as negative attributes to everyone. If you see selfishness and individualism as positive attributes, then this article is not meant to convince you.

But what I do want to suggest is that Eastern Philosophies ultimately deny the individual, and in doing so deny the relata of the relations between individuals.

Ok, so why does this matter? Well, it matters because in most of the Eastern systems that I’ve explored, the general tendency is to focus on the well-being of one’s own body, of one’s own thoughts, of one’s self. The other tendency is to reject the existence of moral consequences, to detach one self and one’s actions from considerations of their consequences, and from their implications.

It is my view that while Eastern thought is certainly capable of producing a sense of peace and serenity in one’s being, and to improve the well-being of the individual in certain respects (i.e. low stress, low anxiety, quiet mind, etc). Eastern thought can be fundamentally destructive to relationships and to the full range of human living. In other words, I believe that when taken seriously, Eastern thought leads to a rejection of the highest goods that so many people naturally value in life.

It might be argued that maybe these “highest goods” aren’t really good at all. That enlightenment will show one that the joy of family, of sport, of trust, of long term committment, of interpersonal relations are illusory. My response to this suggestive line of thought is simply that the burden of proof is on the person who has already assented to Eastern Thought to convince the rest of us. And further, it is my view that the person who has already assented to Eastern Thought must first convince the rest of us that the notion of the individual is illusory.

So basically Eastern Thought moves from gaining your assent that the notion of the individual is illusory, to the view that many of the things that the ordinary man values are built upon this illusion. Dedication to moral goods is one example. The value of commitment, a relational notion that requires individuals as relata, is undermined. The value of family and friends, again, which require individuals as relata, is undermined.

What you are left with is a selfish individual who identifies himself with the Universe and proceeds to act from a position of serene drifting between states, flutterings of fascination and utter disregard for the Other.

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