Analyzing the Philosophies of Chuang Tzu and Socrates

Chuang Tzu and Socrates Philosophy is the study of the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. The occupation of the philosopher is in trying to understand the world around us, trying to determine the truth of the world and of humanity, and essentially to explain things which are more or less unexplainable. Certain issues have fascinated philosophers because they are universal and apply to all human beings regardless of class, gender, ethnicity, religion, or age. The concepts of human existence, why humans exist and what makes them exist are often discussed by philosophers. Perhaps the only concept which appears more frequently in philosophic writings than the topic of existence is the ideas about life and death. All human beings will eventually die; it is the one thing in life which is absolutely certain. What comes after this is a mystery. Is there an afterlife where we are either rewarded or punished? Is there reincarnation where we continually repeat the process of being born, of living, and of dyi ng? Or, quite bleakly and uneventfully, is there nothing at all; do we just cease to be once we stop being alive? Chuang Tzu who is also known as Zhuangzhi wrote in the fourth century BCE while Socrates was a Greek philosopher who wrote about a century before Chuang Tzu. Two philosophers from different eras came up with some similar ideas despite the fact that they were separated by both time and geography; that mankind was fated to be born, to live for a short time, andShow MoreRelatedPhilosophy Socrates vs. Taoism2554 Words   |  11 PagesThroughout history western and eastern philosophies have developed a vast segregation from one another. The geographical and cultural distance between eastern and western civilization determined massive differences between the two. On the other hand, the works of ancient Greek philosophers like Socrates, and some eastern philosophies like Taoism have many of the same or common ideas and concepts. Both eastern and western philosophies regardless of having similarities have distinctive differences