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Western Views On Human Nature

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Eastern Human Nature In our quest for wisdom, the question of human nature is still up to debate. Many philosophers ranging from Socrates to Buddha has questioned the nature of human life and of our existence. But these philosophers do not share the same beliefs about our nature. Their beliefs are as different as their place of origin. Socrates’ own philosophy may not be the same as an eastern philosopher such as the Buddha. In western philosophy there is often a focus on the individual in the case of human nature. In eastern philosophy there are various interpretations of the idea of human nature and our existence.

In buddhism the goal is to reach Nibbana, enlightenment. TO reach enlightenment one would, according to Buddhist belief, is to get rid of beliefs that stem from ourselves and reality. The Four Noble Truths represents the realities of nature that cannot be denied. The first truth is that life is suffering. Meaning that to live is to suffer, it is not to say that the entirety of life is to suffer, but that suffering is a part of life. The second truth is the desire for what is liable to birth, impurity, decay, and death. All examples of suffering as a part of the normal course of life. The third truth is that the elimination of the desire, as told by the second truth, eliminates suffering. Simply saying that by removing these desires one also removes the origin of suffering. The fourth noble truth is that to eliminate the desire, one must follow the Eightfold

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