The delusion of Western philosophy: truth, science, progress (and why Asia is overtaking the West)

The West is no longer what it once was. It is no longer the West, but rather a vaguely defined notion encompassing a multitude of cultures, races and interests. Western nations are becoming less and less homogenous, and the notion of Western philosophy is being steadily watered down. The West is no longer the bastion of rationality, democracy, or progress. Like a once-great empire, the West has entered a period of decline, and its fundamental values are crumbling.<br><br>Over the last two thousand years, Western philosophy has stagnated. In ancient times, Western philosophy was seen as an integral way of life, with ongoing discussions between philosophers and the people. Then Western philosophy was subsumed by Christianity and became stagnated upon the fixed dogma of faith. Modernity heralded the birth of a more scientific, rational philosophy that has been blindly adhered to by the public ever since. Western philosophy has become myopic, dogmatic, and stagnant. It is now nothing more than an academic discipline, completely disconnected from the world outside the university bubble. The current state of Western philosophy is unacceptable. A revolution is required.<br><br>This is an excerpt from my book "The Scourge of Western Philosophy: its Seven Myths and Misconceptions", which looks at seven deeply ingrained Western notions and examines why they are myopic, dogmatic, or simply wrong. The seven myths or misconceptions are: Western philosophy is ongoing and open-ended; Western philosophy is focused on truth; Western philosophy is ongoing technological progress; Western philosophy is focused on the individual; Western philosophy is focused on science; Western philosophy is ongoing moral progress; Western philosophy is the best philosophy. I conclude by briefly explaining the five tenets of Asian philosophy and explaining why Asia is now overtaking the West.<br><br>**Ch 1. The delusion of an ongoing Western philosophy**<br><br>The first myth of Western philosophy is that it is an ongoing, open-ended discipline that is focused on the betterment of mankind. It is seen as an unbroken discussion between Western philosophers going back thousands of years. This is a narrative constructed by Western philosophers in order to reinforce the importance and relevance of their discipline. In reality, Western philosophy is not an ongoing discipline, but rather a collection of distinct philosophies with little inter-connectedness between them. Like a once-great empire, Western philosophy has entered a period of decline, and its fundamental values are crumbling.<br><br>**Ch 2. Truth is not what you think it is**<br><br>The myopic ongoing focus on truth has made Western philosophy highly dogmatic and stagnant. Dogma is the principles, notions, or beliefs presented as incontrovertible. As a result, dogmatic philosophy is not open to alternatives. It is not open to new ideas. It is not open to criticism. It is not open to change. It is not open to dialogue. It is not open to ongoing growth or development. Dogmatic philosophy is opposed to new ideas. It rejects new ideas. Dogmatic philosophy is opposed to change. It rejects change. If there is no change, there is no growth. Dogmatic philosophy is a form of anti-philosophy. Dogmatic philosophy is a hindrance to progress. The focus on truth has been Western philosophy's greatest impediment. Our belief in truth has completely blinded us. The focus on truth has completely misled Western philosophy. Truth remains the holy grail of Western philosophy. The futility of the pursuit of truth has been obvious for thousands of years, yet Western philosophy continues to pursue it.<br><br>**Ch 3. The myth of progress**<br><br>Western philosophy believes that all aspects of human life are undergoing constant improvement. In technological matters, it is undeniable that there is ongoing progress: we have moved from the wheel to the jet plane, the abacus to the computer. Humans, too, are perceived as having undergone progress: from a god-fearing species in an often-brutal society, we are now more enlightened, compassionate and intelligent. It is this latter form of progress, which I refer to as "moral progress," that is more contentious. When we look at history, it is hard to argue that humans have progressed, at least to any great degree. In many ways, we are still very similar to our early forebears, who were often brutal and bloodthirsty. Western philosophy, too, has seen very little progress over the last couple of millennia.<br><br>**Ch 4. The myth of individualism**<br><br>The fourth misconception of Western philosophy is that Western philosophy is focused upon the individual. This myth is easily de-bunked by comparing Western philosophy to Asian philosophy. Like other Asian philosophies, ancient Greek philosophy was focused on collective harmony. Collectivist or communitarian philosophies see society as being more important than the individual. In contrast, individualistic philosophies value the individual above society as a whole. As a result, individualistic societies contain individuals who have their own opinions, ongoing choices, and bounded selves. Collectivist societies contain interdependent individuals who are focused on ensuring the harmony of society as a whole.<br><br>**Ch 5. The myth of science**<br><br>This book argues that science is not the ongoing search for truth. Science is not an ongoing search for objective truth. Science is not even an ongoing search for truth. The results of science are not truth. Science is not even fact. The only truths or facts in any given scientific discipline are the axioms on which it is based.<br><br>**Ch 6. The myth of moral progress**<br><br>The West's fixation on truth and science has led to ongoing moral progress. Or so Western philosophers would have us believe. Western philosophers see the ongoing development of humanity as a gradual process of ongoing technological and moral progress, or a gradual process of ongoing improvement. The ancient Greeks were highly barbaric, the Romans slightly less so, and modern society the least barbaric of all. The general narrative of Western philosophy is that society is gradually becoming more rational, more democratic, more just, more compassionate, more intelligent. Our capacity for technological innovation is undeniable. But the idea that humanity itself is undergoing progress, is more contentious. When we look at history, it is hard to argue that humans have progressed, at least to any great degree. The ancient Greeks could be brutal and bloodthirsty, as could the Romans. And Western society is no different. When we look at history, it is hard to argue that ongoing progress has been made. It is hard to argue that we are better now than we were in ancient times.<br><br>**Ch 7. The myth of Western philosophy**<br><br>The final myth of Western philosophy is that Western philosophy is the best philosophy. This is the only myth that is ongoing. It is only in the last 200 years that Western philosophers have argued that Western philosophy is better than other philosophies. Like the other six myths, this myth is a narrative or a story that Western philosophers have constructed to reinforce their discipline. It is a story that they have promulgated to the public in order to argue that they are better, and to gain the public's trust. Western philosophers have never argued that Asian philosophy is inferior. Rather, they argue that Asian philosophy does not exist. Western philosophers do not see ancient Greek philosophy as being inferior to modern Western philosophy. Rather, they see ancient Greek philosophy as being an ongoing component of modern Western philosophy. Western philosophers do not see modern Western philosophy as being inferior to ancient Greek philosophy. Rather, they see their philosophy as being superior. Western philosophers do not see modern Western philosophy as being inferior to previous Western philosophies. Rather, they see their philosophy as being superior. The seven Western philosophies have not been superseded by later philosophies, but rather form part of a continuous, unbroken tradition. Western philosophers see modern Western philosophy as being the ongoing culmination of thousands of years of discussion between philosophers: from ancient Sumeria and Egypt; from ancient India and China; from ancient Greece and Rome; from modern Europe and America. They argue that ongoing Western philosophy is the accumulation of thousands of years of philosophical discussion. Western philosophers see their philosophy as the highest form of philosophy. They see it as the accumulation of knowledge of the greatest and most intelligent philosophers in human history.<br><br>**Ch 8. Asian philosophy**<br><br>This is an integral part of "The Scourge of Western Philosophy: its Seven Myths and Misconceptions". Please see the previous seven chapters for a scathing critique of Western philosophy, which shows why the West is in decline and why Asia is now the dominant continent. Asian philosophy differs greatly from Western philosophy. Asian philosophy is not focused on truth. Asian philosophy is not focused on science. Asian philosophy is not ongoing technological or moral progress. Asian philosophy is not focused on the individual. Rather, Asian philosophy is focused on harmony, simplicity, and mindfulness. It is an integral part of Asian society and is utilised on a daily basis: people engage in philosophy in their daily activities; they engage in philosophy in schools; they engage in philosophy in ongoing discussions with philosophers. This is completely the opposite of Western philosophy, which is seen as an academic discipline disconnected from the public at large. Asian philosophy is the opposite of Western philosophy in many other ways, too. Asian philosophy is open to alternatives. It is open to new ideas. It is open to criticism. It is open to change. It is ongoing growth or development. Asian philosophy is not opposed to new ideas. It does not reject new ideas. Asian philosophy is not opposed to change. It does not reject change. Asian philosophy is not dogmatic. Asian philosophy is not stagnant. Asian philosophy is a form of anti-philosophy. Asian philosophy is not a hindrance to progress. Asian philosophy is not focused on truth. Our belief in truth has not blinded us. The focus on truth has not completely misled Asian philosophy. Truth is not the holy grail of Asian philosophy. The futility of the pursuit of truth is not obvious. Asian philosophy does not pursue truth.<br><br>Asian philosophy has five tenets.