Unit 12

True philosophy invents nothing; it merely establishes and describes what is.

• Victor Cousin

Western & eastern philosophy

• Ex. 1 Read the quotation and translate it. How do you understand this statement? Give your reasons. What is your opinion about true philosophy?

• Ex. 2 Get acquainted with new words and phrases. Put them down into your vocabularies and try to memorize.

comprise [] – містити в собі, вміщати, охоплювати;

various [] – різноманітний;

stem [] – походити (from, out of);

hermeneutic [] – інтерпретаційний;

framework [] – система поглядів;

relate to [] – стосуватися;

contain [] – містити (мати) в собі;

accept [] – визнавати; ставитися прихильно;

tenet [] – догмат, принцип;

worship [] – поклонятися, шанувати;

deity [] – божество; божественність;

embrace [] – сприймати;

recent [] – новий, сучасний;

enforce [] – проводити в життя;

repudiation [] – заперечення; зречення;

recourse [] – звернення;

capricious agencies [] – мінливий чинник;

complement [] – доповнювати.

• Ex. 3 Substitute the words in bold with their synonyms from Ex.2. Translate sentences into Ukrainian.

1. The two forces in eastern philosophy known as yin and yang add to one another and are both found in every aspect of life.

2. For the Neoplatonists, all things emanated from the divinity.

3. Of all of the tenets of the eastern philosophy, purity is the most highly stressed.

4. A recovery of Truth in the modes of classical philosophy and of Christian faith undergirds the denial of Marxist socialism in Eastern philosophy.

5. Eastern philosophy includes great thinkers from the Far Eastern countries of India, China, Japan, Korea, and the Middle Eastern countries.

6. In the pre-Socratic times world was full of magic, manipulated by mysterious and most unsteady factors like Gods.

7. All Yang elements comprise the seed of Yin and Yin contains the seed of Yang.

8. Taoism is based on the firm belief that the human intellect can never comprehend the Tao.

9. Some Eastern philosophies acknowledge Jesus as a great Teacher who attained Christ-consciousness, or enlightenment, similar to that attained by Krishna or Buddha.

10. Eastern philosophy idolizes rituals and depictions of the gods less, and deals more with larger questions of our relation to the cosmos.

Ex. 4 Make up your own sentences with the new words from Ex. 2. Read the sentences aloud and let your group mates translate them.

Ex. 5 Put words in the correct word order to make sentences.

1. in which / Aarti is / lights with wicks / are lit and offered up / soaked in ghee / to one or more deities / a Hindu ceremony.

2. to the nature of / Eastern philosophies / by questions relating / have not been as concerned / as the universe's sole creator and ruler / a single God.

3. Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma / as three distinct deities / One possible view of the Trimurti / with distinct interests and abilities / is to see / complement each other / whose combined forces.

4. Western philosophy into Eastern thought / to incorporate / include the Kyoto School of philosophers / with the insights of Zen Buddhism / Recent attempts / who combined the phenomenology of Husserl.

5. are not likely / to authority / Philosophers / to be persuaded / today / by such recourses.

• Ex. 6 Rewrite the text separating words and sentences logically. Put dots and comas where it’s necessary. Start a new sentence with an initial letter. Read, translate the passage and put a question to each sentence.

ManyelementsofEasternphilosophyappearinpopularculturesuchasuseofthetermskarma

yogaOmmantrayinandyangnirvanaWealsofrequentlyhearisolatedbitsofEasternwisdom

suchas“whatisthesoundofonehandclapping?”“Confuciussaidthat”UnderstandingourownWesternphilosophicalheritageischallengingenoughButitseemstobeanalmostimpossible

tasktogainknowledgeofEasternphilosophythatrisesabovethelevelofclichéHundredsofnew

termsandpersonalnamesareusedmostlyinunfamiliarEasternlanguagesThetraditionsareveryoldandlikealllivingphilosophicalandreligioustraditionstheorieschangethroughouthistorySoevenifweunderstandacentraltheoryfromonemomentinatradition’shistorywemaystruggleto

graspconceptsinthetradition’slaterphasesPerhapsmostdifficultofallaretheEasternideas

themselveswhichseemasforeignasthedistantlandsfromwhichtheygeographicallyemerged

• Ex. 7 Read and translate the text.