Western vs Eastern Culture

Write the top 5 differences between Western and Eastern society, culture
and the individuals in the table below. Cite your resources.

WESTERN EASTERN
(Europe & Northern America) (Asia)
 Western
A. Look at the world in dualities: you are
distinct from the other person
B. Talk about their personal attributes
when describing themselves
C. Highlight their personal achievement
D. Individualistic culture
E. Loose associations or loyalty to the
group
F. Value equality even if they see that the
individual can rise above everything
else.
Eastern
A. Other person as part of your self
B. Talk about their social roles/social
situations that invoked certain
general traits that they deem positive
for their self
C. Keep a low profile as promoting the
self can be seen as boastfulness that
disrupts social relationships.
D. Collectivist
E. Look after the welfare of the group &
values cooperation
F. Put more emphasis in hierarchy
 Confucianism
• Can be seen as a code of ethical conduct, of how one
should properly act according to their relationship with
other people.
• Focused on having a harmonious social life.
• Identity and self-concept of the individual is interwoven
with the identity and status of his community or culture,
sharing its pride as well as its failures.
 Confucianism
• Self-cultivation is seen as the ultimate purpose of life
• The cultivated self is what some scholars as a
“subdued self” wherein personal needs are repressed
for the good of many.
 Taoism
• The self is not just an extension of the
self or the community; it is part of the
universe.
• The ideal self is selflessness, but this is
not forgetting about the self
• It is living a balanced-life with society
and nature
 Taoism
• Being open and accepting to change
• Forgetting prejudices and egocentric
ideas and thinking about equality as
well as complementarity among
humans and as well as other beings
 Buddhism
• The self is seen as an illusion, born out of ignorance, of
trying to hold and control things, or human-centered needs,
thus the self is the source of all these sufferings

• Our quest to forget about the self, forget the cravings of the
self, break the attachments you have with the world and to
renounce the self which is the cause of all the suffering and
in doing so attain the state of Nirvana.