The Formation of NonWestern Traditions of Social Thinking

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The Formation of Non-Western Traditions of Social
Thinking

• Lecture, November 2, 2005

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Recommended Reading

• World Religions Today Second Edition
• John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching and Todd
  Lewis 0195176995, paper, 672 pages, first
  edition 2001 / second edition 2005, 672 pages
  214 illus. 16 maps

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Sources of Non-Western Thinking

• Hinduism
• Chinese Philosophies and Religions (Confucianism,
  Taoism)
• Buddhism
• Islam

Top, L to R Islam, Hinduism, Yin Yang Bottom
Sikhism, Ayyavazhi of Tamil Hinduism
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Geographical Distribution of the Main Religions
Worldwide
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Hinduism

• Hinduism also known as Sanatana Dharma, and
  Vaidika-Dharma
• Religious tradition that is based on the revealed
  knowledge of the Veda (corpus of Old Indo Aryan
  religious Literature) and the direct descendent
  of the vedic Indo-Iranian religion.
• Encompasses many religious traditions that widely
  vary in practice, as well as many diverse sects
  and philosophies.
• Perhaps oldest religion in the world, estimates
  vary from 3102 BCE to 1300 BCE.
• It is also the third largest religion with a
  following of approximately 1 billion people.
• Ninety-eight percent of Hindus can be found on
  the Indian subcontinent.

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Buddhism

• Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings
  of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of
  the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally
  given as 566 to 486 BCE.
• Buddhism gradually spread from India throughout
  Asia to Central Asia, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Southeast
  Asia, as well as to East Asian countries such as
  China, Korea, and Japan
• Approximately 360 million followers
• The aim of Buddhist practice is to end the
  suffering of cyclic existence (samsara or Pali in
  Sanskrit), by awakening the practitioner to the
  realization of true reality, the achievement of
  liberation (nirvana).
• The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
• Hinayana or Lesser Vehicle
• Mahayana or Greater Vehicle

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Spread of Buddhism at the Time of King Ashoka
(260-218 BCE)
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Spread of Mahayana Buddhism between 1st10th
century CE
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Chinese Philosophies

• Confucianism (551479 BC)
• Taoism (Daodejing)

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Islam I

• Islam means submission or surrender to God.
• Islam is one of the worlds fastest growing
  religions, with 1.2 billion followers in some 56
  countries. Islam is the second largest religion
  in the world, second to Christianity, which has
  1.9 billion followers.
• Arabs constitute only 20 percent of Muslims. The
  vast majority live in non-Arab societies
  Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and
  Nigeria.
• Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is
  monotheistic.

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Spread of Islam in the 7th and 8th Centuries
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Islam II

• Muhammad (570CE632CE) was born in the Arabian
  city of Mecca to the ruling tribe, but of a
  family of modest means.
• In 610 he was, according to tradition, revisited
  by the angel Gabriel, received revelations, and
  became the messenger of God. For more than two
  decades (610632) Muhammad received further
  revelations that became the text of the Quran or
  the recitation or discourse.
• After ten years of rejection and persecution in
  Mecca, in 622, Muhammad and his followers
  migrated to Yathrib, later renamed Medina.
  Muhammad became the religious and political
  leader of Medina. This emigration, or hijra,
  marked a revitalization and expansion of Islam.
• Muhammad did not create a new religion, but was a
  prophet and reformer of an existing one.
• Muhammad used force and diplomacy to unite the
  tribes of Arabia under the banner of lslam.

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Islam III

• Islamic law consists of two main divisions.
  Ibadat concerns a Muslims duties to God, and
  muamalat concerns ones duties to others or
  social obligations. In particular, the Five
  Pillars of Islam inform Muslims of their duties
  to God. They are
• 1. The Profession of Faith, or shahadah, is
  repeated at least five times a day, There is no
  God hut the God and Muhammad is the messenger of
  God.
• 2. Five times a day, Muslims are called upon to
  proclaim shahadah during worship, or salat,
  consisting of prayer preceded by a series of
  ablutions.
• 3. The third pillar of Islam is the zakat, a
  religious tithe or almsgiving.
• 4. The Fast of Ramadanhealthy Muslims are
  required once annually to fast from dawn until
  dusk during the month of Ramadan, or the ninth
  month of Islams lunar calendar.
• 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca or hajjevery physically
  or financially able adult Muslim is expected to
  perform the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in
  his or her life.
• The two great branches of Islam are the Sunni and
  Shiah. Sunnis constitute 85 percent, and Shiahs
  constitute approximately 15 percent of the global
  Islamic community.
• Sufis, practitioners of Islamic mysticism, are
  represented in both of the above branches.

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Conclusion

• Categories of Comparison
• Polytheism vs. Monotheism
• Religion vs. Philosophy
• Role of the Individual