Eastern vs Western Culture
The culture of a community or a nation depends upon the surroundings, the values and beliefs that they are brought up upon. Hence different parts of the world feature different cultures that vary very much from one another. Today, the cultures of the world can be divided into two main parts such as the Eastern and Western culture. However throughout the years, the two have come to influence one another constantly due to globalization, and shaping and moulding one another in the process.
What is Eastern Culture?
Eastern culture is the ensemble of beliefs, customs and traditions that distinguishes the people of eastern part of the world, made up of the Far East, West Asia, Central Asia, North Asia and South Asia. Based mostly on Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Islam, Taoism and Zen, the Eastern culture explores the spiritual aspect of exploring the inner world of a human being believing that the universe and its existence is a never ending cyclic journey with no limits. Eastern culture encourages its people to gain control over their emotions and state of mind through meditation and practices the principal of virtue in all aspects of life. It is also a culture that is built upon community and collectivism as Eastern culture believes that a human being is a social creature and is an integral part of the society.
What is Western Culture?
Western culture is a term that refers to the heritage of ethical values, traditions, customs, belief systems, technologies, and artefacts that define the lifestyles and beliefs of people from the Western part of the world. The roots of the Western culture has its origins in Europe and carries a heritage of Germanic, Celtic, Hellenic, Slavic, Jewish, Latin, and other ethnic and linguistic groups. Mainly based on Christianity, one sees oneself as an element of the divine and life in service of God. Beginning in Ancient Greece and ancient Rome, Western culture continued to develop with Christianity during the middle ages, nourished by the experiments of Enlightenment and discoveries of science and spread itself throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries as a result of globalization and human migration.
What are the differences between Western Culture and Eastern Culture?
• Eastern culture is based on the main schools of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Islam, Taoism, and Zen whereas the Western culture is based mostly on Christianity, scientific, logical, and rational schools.
• Eastern culture has a circular view of the universe that is based upon the perception of eternal recurrence whereas Western culture has a linear view of the universe that is based on the Christian philosophy that everything has a beginning and an end.
• Eastern culture uses the spiritual and missionary approach of searching inside oneself for answers through meditation whereas western culture takes on a pragmatic and emotional approach in searching outside oneself through research and analysis.
• Eastern culture believes that the key to success is through spiritual means. Western culture believes that the key to success is through material means.
• Eastern culture believes that one’s future is determined by one’s deeds today. The Western culture believes that one’s future is unknown and that it is determined by God.
• Eastern culture believes that a human being is an integral part of the society as well as the universe and practices collectivism. In Western culture, individualism is stronger, believing that a human being has an individualistic and is an independent part of the society and the universe.