Kaitlin Vonderschmitt
North America Philosophy
North American philosophy covers the native american
religion, central americans, and the United States political theory and
philosophy. As a country of imigrants the United States adopted much
of their religion and philsoophy from Europe, as well as builiding on
their theories and developing their own philosophy.
Most notabley, the United States philosophy focuses on the
freedoms granted in the consitution. As a democratic republic, the
Founding Fathers compilied a list of natural rights that were to be
granted in the Bill of Rights. Many of these rights were based off of
John Locke’s conceptualized theory of natural and legal rights. These
main rights are the right to life, liberty and private property. The
Founding Fathers interpreted these rights into protecting an
individuals right to practice whatever religion they want, say what
they want, assemble when they want, ask for what they want and lastly
for the media to tell them what they need to know. Through these
rights and others granted in the Bill of Rights allow citizens of the
United States to persue a life of happiness with freedom and security.
Transcendentalism is another philosophical movement in
America. This movement was sparked by many of the literary authors
of the day including, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau,
Emily Dickerson, and many others. It began in the early 1800’s with
the publishing of Emerson’s “Nature” which developed a new way of
looking at the American landscape. This movement was a very Idealist
and individualized movement that focused on a utopian social change.
While Mexico is not a super power in philosophy or political
theory, but like every country their citizens are intellectually
motivated to understand life around them. One movement that has
traveled to Mexico from Argentina is the Liberation philosophy. This
philosophy delves into the motions behind the social and political
phenomena of the revolutions that occur in Latin America. It is not a
revolutionary movement but instead a movement to understand the
revolutions that have occured in that culture.
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European Philosophy
European philosophy is the best known as Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle are taught in schools all across the world. This is where the
beginning of Western Philosophy took hold, as the greeks developed a
baisc philosophy addressing life and issues in it. Europe became an
intellectual playground during the Renaissance, when learning
became an important aspect in the average life. Starting in Italy it
quickly spread to France, England and the rest of Europe.
The basics began in Greece with Socrates, a classical
philosopher who developed the Socratic method of teaching through
a series of questions. This method inspires the pupils to think deeper
about a subject and find reasoning behind each answer. Plato was his
star pupil, who developed his own legacy in his Allegory of the Cave.
The Allegory speaks of the developement of human nature and what
path one must take to accend to the level of a philosopher king.
In a bit more modern philosophical thought the “Age of
Reason” or “Enlightenment” took place, defining the ruling power in
Europe and introducing a more scientific methodical way of looking
at problems. Some of the important figures include, Thomas Hobbes,
John Locke, Robert Hooke, Montesquieu, Benjamin Franklin, David
Hume, Immanuel Kant and many others.
The 20th century philosophers took a turn as they overthrew
the original knowledge system tht solved social, economic, scientific
and logical problems. Philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre help develop
an existentialist movement, Sartre was a leading member of the French
Left, with an understanding in Marxism and phenonmenology.
Phenonmenology is a study of conscious experience, basi-
cally it is a study of creating objective criteria for topics that are usu-
ally regarded as subjective.
Europe continues to be a melting pot for intellectual minds as
the 21st century carries on and even philsophers make it to the
mainstream media. Even the Internet has had an affect on the
philosophy of today.
African Philosophy
Kenyen Philosopher Henry Odera Oruka defined four trends
in African Philosophy. Ethnophilosophy, Philosophic Sagacity, Profes-
sional Philosophy and Nationalist-ideological philosophy.
According to Dr. Peter King, professor at Oxford,
Enthophilosophy is basically a study of the African culture and an
understanding of it as a communal philosophy instead of
recognizing it at an individual level.
Philosophic sagacity, is similar to the Enthophilosophy
except it looks at the cultural elements of the African culture at an
individual level. This is a comprehensive look at the world view of the
African culture, however this is less of a philosophy and more of a
study of beliefs (King).
Professional Philosophy is a particular view of thinking,
reflecting, and reasoning. This is a newer for of philsophy that is till
developing and delving into the what is African philosophy and what
are the African concerns that need to be answered by African
philosophy (King).
Lastly the National-ideological philosophy is more of a politi-
cal philosophy focusing on the ideology of the African people. This is
not the set of ideas but instead it is a special way of reasoning behind
the ideologies (King).
Some of the main contributors to African philosophy
include: Al-Hajj Salim Suwari, Gaston Berger, Kwame Gyekye, Alexis
Kagame, Henry Odera Oruka, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Mohammed
Chaouk Zine. Africa has come a long way from what the western
world considers a backwards way of looking at things as supernatural,
with medicine men and witchdoctors. The economic and agricultural
systems that exist in Africa has delayed a continent wide industrial
revolution, which in turn put a damper on the philosophical
development. However especially in recent years, a developing
philosophy is emerging.
Asian Philosophy
Typically thought of as Eastern Philosophy, it includes
Chinease, Indian, Korean, and Arab philosophies. Off the top of your
head a few main Eastern philosophies that come to mind are
Confucianism, Toaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and maybe Zoroastrian-
ism, depending on your world civilization class in college.
Confucianism is an ethical and philsophical system that is
developed aroung Confucius’s teachings. This supports that human
are teachable, improvable, and perfectible thorugh personal reflection
and self-creation and culivation. One of the most important elements
of Chinese philosophy is Filial Piety. This concept characterizes the
respect of relationships between Ruler and Ruled, Father and Son,
Husband and Wife, Elder brother and younger brother, and Friend to
friend.
The foil of Confucianism is Taoism. Tao is the “way”, it is
generally focused on Nature and empahsizes compassion, moderation,
and humility. The most influential text is “Tao Te Ching” written by
Lao Tzu.
Buddhism is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gau-
tama, and was founded in Northern India. The Four Noble Truths of
Budhhism are: Suffering does exist, Suffering arises from attachment
to desires, Suffering ceases when attachment to desire ceases, and
Freedom form suffering is possible by practicing the Eightfold Path.
The Eightfold Path a training system for life, through developing the
right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
There are many different religions and philosophies in Asia,
as cultures have merged and split and different sects have developed
elsewhere. This is just a brief look into the Eastern Philosophies, while
their main focus is clamer than our agressive western philosophy, it
focuses on a more family and community based philosophy. It is
focused on a different honor system than we find in Western society, is
it better? You decide. Think more.
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information thanks to http://www.iep.utm.edu/
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QUOTABLY SIMILAR:
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is
pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” “All men by nature desire knowledge.”
– Buddha - Aristotle

“He who knows others is wise; He who know himself is enlightened. “

- Lao-tzu

“ Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

- Confucius “Insist on yourself; never imitate... Every great man is unique.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eastern and “I think therefore I am”

– René Descartes

Eastern Western Western

Philosophers
are similar in Philosophers

Do not think you will necessarily be aware of

your own enlightenment.”
some of their
- Dogen
philosophies.
“An unexamined life is not worth living.”
– Socrates

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is
thinks, he becomes.“ thinking that makes what we read ours.”
- Mohandas Gandhi – John Locke

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you
know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know
neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and
that is that I know nothing.”
- Socrates

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Quotations thanks to Quotationpages.com