Eastern Thought and
ms Thinking
Systen
July 26, 2010
Young-pyo Kim
a Research Institute for Human Settlements
kyp5208@hanmail.net
| East Asians and Westerners, respectively as a
group, have kept very different systems of
thought for thousands of years
{ In contrastto the mechanistic and analytic Westem view
[ Eastem view of the world is said to be organic
| Aims to seek the profound relation between
ancient Eastern wisdom and modern systems
thinking
| Focuses on thoughts of Three Essences (time,
space, man), Yin-Yang(j [ ) theory, Taoism,
Confucianism, and Buddhism
Subject 2 4 Westerners @ Easterners
Syllogism Tao (J) )
ind Gr ‘eece
Independent Interdependent
“Going it alone” “Living together”
Simple, Controllable, Complex, Not easily
Analytic, Separate, controlled, Holistic,
Stable / Interrelated /
pe iving Linear movement, Changing Cyclical
t vorid Advance movement, Reversion
po “Keep your eye on the ball” | “Eyes in back of your head”
* NisbettR.E., 2004, The Geography of Thought.
‘causality
Internal Factors
Personal attributes
External Factors
Situational factors
Static object Relationships
Categorization and Rules Similarities
Logic Experience
Law of non-contradiction Dialectics,
Correctness Middle way
Either/ or Both/ and
* NisbettR.E., 2004, The Geography of Thought.
[ Universe = [] J (vieznou)
=» The Largest System
[ HuaiNan Tzu [70 7 |
ell (va) OO00 (3D Space)
-{] hou = OOOO (Time Flow)
[ Universe is a frame containing Time and Space
Huai Nan Tzu
| A compilation of various schools of thought made by the
around 3,000 guests attached to the court of Liu An(jj [] ),
Prince of Huai-nan(died 122 B.C.), in the Former Han Dynasty
[ In addition to Time and Space, the ancient
Easterners paid attention to Man as a
representative of entia in the Universe
| Three Essences in the Universe
[| Three Jian({] )s in the Universe
-Time (00 Shi-jian)
- Space (J) Kong-jian)
-Man (9¢ Rén-jidn)
In the beg
the light
Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters..
nning God created the heaven and the earth...God called
ay, and the darkness he called Night... the first day]
divided
the waters above the
the waters under the firmament...
firmament...God called the f t |
.God called the dry land E
the waters called he Sea
..God made two great lights... he made the stars also...
.. moving creature... fowl... great whales..
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth... So God
created man..
G
.. [the second day]
together of
the third day]
the fourth day]
d
arth: and the gatherin
~_ grass. fruit tree..
the fifth day]
.male and female...
the sixth day]
[ Three Jians({j [| ) should be the fundamental
factors for a complete system
| Harmony Principle of Three Essences
>
A system can get completeness
by unifying spatio-temporal-human
integrated factors
and ultimately seeks for
\ the Harmony of Three Jians
System Dynamics
Time Based Approach
Geographic Information System
Space Based Approach
Optimal Control Theory
Human Based Approach
| Tao is the all-embracing first principle through
which all things are brought into Being
=> The ultimate reality which underlies and unifies
the multiple things and events we observe
| Tao is one of the most important terms
in Eastern philosophy
| Lao-tzu({] [|] ) gave Tao a metaphysical
meaning
[ Principal characteristic of Tao
[ cyclic nature of its ceaseless motion and change
[| Chou I(]] 7) : ‘book of Change’
| “Nothing goes away that does not return,
i.e., No departure without a return” [7 000]
[| Lao-tzu({ Qj )
| “The movement of Tao consists in reversion,
going far means return” [00000 000]
[ Chuang-tzu(] 0 )
| “Things when they reach one extreme must return”
[(O000)
[ Yin-Yang is the female and male principles ;
[ Yin({] ) : force representing female principle
[| Yang({] ) : force representing male principle
| Interactions of Yin-Yang are generally
supposed to produce universal phenomena
- +
dark ___light_
soft hard
| cold warm
inactive active
™ " | - quiet movement
LL
[ Cyclic motion of Tao was given a definite
structure by the introduction of the polar
opposites Yin and Yang
| The Yang having reached its climax retreats in
favour of the Yin
| The Yin having reached its climax retreats in
favour of the Yang
| All manifestations of the Tao are generated
by the dynamic interplay of Yin and Yang
= Theory and symbol of Yin-Yang became the
fundamental concept of Eastern thought
Zhou Tun-yi (1017~73), a Neo-Confucianist
| Composed the [] [] [| (Diagram of the Supreme
Ultimate)
“The Supereme Ultimate through movement produces the
Yang. This movement, having reached its limit, is followed by
quiescence, and by this quiescence it produces the Yin.
When quiescence has reached its limit, there is a return
to movement. Thus movement and quiescence, in alteration,
become each the source of the other. The distinction
between the Yin and Yang is determined, and their Two
Forms({] [) ) stand revealed. By the transformations of the
Yang, and union therewith of the Yin, water, fire,
wood, metal, and earth are produced.
“7
—->.
[ Dynamics of Yin and Yang is illustrated by Taij iTui((] 5) [1 )
| The diagram is a symmetric arrangement of the
dark Yin and the bright Yang
| The symmetry is not static but rotational.
| The two dots in the diagram
symbolize the idea O00 (Taiji Ta)
that each time one Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate
of the two forces
reaches its extreme,
it contains in itself already
the seed of its opposite.
15
“Tao produced Oneness.
Oneness produced duality.
Duality evolved into trinity,
and trinity evolved into the ten thousand things:
The ten thousand things support the yin
and embrace the yang.
It is on the blending of aS
the breaths of the yin and the yang r
that their harmony depends.”
[ Ten thousand things(f 1) means infinite number of things
in the China, Korea and Japan.
Philosophy
Dynamics
(0) (a) aii
Oneness _ | Aether/ Fluids |
(0) (a) =
Yin Z
Duality (0) =
(0) ) Yang
. (0) =
Tao Te Ching System
(1 6) Philosophy Dynamics
Yin Aether z
(O00) i
Trinity . Yang Aether +
(0) (O00) —-
a ‘Harmony Aether r — or
. (O00) —
Tao Teching | Poctern 7
() Of) Philosophy Dynamics
SYSTEM
Ten thousand All aN
things | things oe. '
—
[ Central theme of the Buddhism
| Unity of all things and events
[ Interrelation of all things and events
[| Buddhism stresses on Causality
| All things arise and pass away by causality
[| Spatial Causality and Temporal Causality
| All things are linked one another by a cosmic web
C(O0001]
| All things are impermanent and variable vanity
CHOO0]
[ All life is the oneness
| We should have love and compassion on all life
~ <This Life>
<Next Life>
Suffering Clinging Bondage of Karma
Avidya
Samsara
Karma
ee
<Eternal Life>
a
ck S
cingno/
a Path
<Terms>
Avidya : Ignorance
Duhkha : Suffering
Trishna : Clinging
Karma : Never-ending chain of cause and effect
Samsara : Round of birth-and-death
Eightfold Path : Buddha’s prescription to end all
suffering and to lead to state of Buddhahood
Prajna : Transcendental wisdom
Karuna : Love or Compassion
| Bodhi: True enlightened wisdom
| Nirvana : A state of total liberation
22
Static Thinking
Structural Thinking
Linear Thinking
Open-loop Thinking
Detenninistic Thinking
Criteria Type 2 |
Time oe Dynamic Thinking
Rate of Change Functional Thinking
Direction Cyclical Thinking
Boundary a ~Feedback Thinking
Randomness sq" Stochastic Thinking
23
Criteria
Binary Thinking
Broken Thinking
Mechanistic Thinking
Analytic Thinking
Valence Fuzzy Thinking
Connectivity 1a Causal Thinking
Vitality Organic Thinking
3 Holistic Thinking
24
Criteria Buddhism
Time Dynamic Thinking
Rate of Change Functional Thinking
Direction Cyclical Thinking
Boundary Feedback Thinking
Randomness Stochastic Thinking
Valence Fuzzy Thinking
Connectivity Causal Thinking
Vitality Organic Thinking
View Holistic Thinking
25
The summer insect
doesn’t understand the ice
because it is bound to T! ME
X J}
“a 27
The frog in a well
doesn’t understand the sea
because it is bound to SPACE
X J}
_
The stupid scholar
doesn’t understand the truth
because he is bound to
in PREDECESSOR’s dogma _
%. k you
Eastern Thought and
ms Thinking
Systen
July 26, 2010
Young-pyo Kim
a Research Institute for Human Settlements
kyp5208@hanmail.net
| East Asians and Westerners, respectively as a
group, have kept very different systems of
thought for thousands of years
{ In contrastto the mechanistic and analytic Westem view
[ Eastem view of the world is said to be organic
| Aims to seek the profound relation between
ancient Eastern wisdom and modern systems
thinking
| Focuses on thoughts of Three Essences (time,
space, man), Yin-Yang(j [ ) theory, Taoism,
Confucianism, and Buddhism
Subject 2 4 Westerners @ Easterners
Syllogism Tao (J) )
ind Gr ‘eece
Independent Interdependent
“Going it alone” “Living together”
Simple, Controllable, Complex, Not easily
Analytic, Separate, controlled, Holistic,
Stable / Interrelated /
pe iving Linear movement, Changing Cyclical
t vorid Advance movement, Reversion
po “Keep your eye on the ball” | “Eyes in back of your head”
* NisbettR.E., 2004, The Geography of Thought.
‘causality
Internal Factors
Personal attributes
External Factors
Situational factors
Static object Relationships
Categorization and Rules Similarities
Logic Experience
Law of non-contradiction Dialectics,
Correctness Middle way
Either/ or Both/ and
* NisbettR.E., 2004, The Geography of Thought.
[ Universe = [] J (vieznou)
=» The Largest System
[ HuaiNan Tzu [70 7 |
ell (va) OO00 (3D Space)
-{] hou = OOOO (Time Flow)
[ Universe is a frame containing Time and Space
Huai Nan Tzu
| A compilation of various schools of thought made by the
around 3,000 guests attached to the court of Liu An(jj [] ),
Prince of Huai-nan(died 122 B.C.), in the Former Han Dynasty
[ In addition to Time and Space, the ancient
Easterners paid attention to Man as a
representative of entia in the Universe
| Three Essences in the Universe
[| Three Jian({] )s in the Universe
-Time (00 Shi-jian)
- Space (J) Kong-jian)
-Man (9¢ Rén-jidn)
In the beg
the light
Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters..
nning God created the heaven and the earth...God called
ay, and the darkness he called Night... the first day]
divided
the waters above the
the waters under the firmament...
firmament...God called the f t |
.God called the dry land E
the waters called he Sea
..God made two great lights... he made the stars also...
.. moving creature... fowl... great whales..
cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth... So God
created man..
G
.. [the second day]
together of
the third day]
the fourth day]
d
arth: and the gatherin
~_ grass. fruit tree..
the fifth day]
.male and female...
the sixth day]
[ Three Jians({j [| ) should be the fundamental
factors for a complete system
| Harmony Principle of Three Essences
>
A system can get completeness
by unifying spatio-temporal-human
integrated factors
and ultimately seeks for
\ the Harmony of Three Jians
System Dynamics
Time Based Approach
Geographic Information System
Space Based Approach
Optimal Control Theory
Human Based Approach
| Tao is the all-embracing first principle through
which all things are brought into Being
=> The ultimate reality which underlies and unifies
the multiple things and events we observe
| Tao is one of the most important terms
in Eastern philosophy
| Lao-tzu({] [|] ) gave Tao a metaphysical
meaning
[ Principal characteristic of Tao
[ cyclic nature of its ceaseless motion and change
[| Chou I(]] 7) : ‘book of Change’
| “Nothing goes away that does not return,
i.e., No departure without a return” [7 000]
[| Lao-tzu({ Qj )
| “The movement of Tao consists in reversion,
going far means return” [00000 000]
[ Chuang-tzu(] 0 )
| “Things when they reach one extreme must return”
[(O000)
[ Yin-Yang is the female and male principles ;
[ Yin({] ) : force representing female principle
[| Yang({] ) : force representing male principle
| Interactions of Yin-Yang are generally
supposed to produce universal phenomena
- +
dark ___light_
soft hard
| cold warm
inactive active
™ " | - quiet movement
LL
[ Cyclic motion of Tao was given a definite
structure by the introduction of the polar
opposites Yin and Yang
| The Yang having reached its climax retreats in
favour of the Yin
| The Yin having reached its climax retreats in
favour of the Yang
| All manifestations of the Tao are generated
by the dynamic interplay of Yin and Yang
= Theory and symbol of Yin-Yang became the
fundamental concept of Eastern thought
Zhou Tun-yi (1017~73), a Neo-Confucianist
| Composed the [] [] [| (Diagram of the Supreme
Ultimate)
“The Supereme Ultimate through movement produces the
Yang. This movement, having reached its limit, is followed by
quiescence, and by this quiescence it produces the Yin.
When quiescence has reached its limit, there is a return
to movement. Thus movement and quiescence, in alteration,
become each the source of the other. The distinction
between the Yin and Yang is determined, and their Two
Forms({] [) ) stand revealed. By the transformations of the
Yang, and union therewith of the Yin, water, fire,
wood, metal, and earth are produced.
“7
—->.
[ Dynamics of Yin and Yang is illustrated by Taij iTui((] 5) [1 )
| The diagram is a symmetric arrangement of the
dark Yin and the bright Yang
| The symmetry is not static but rotational.
| The two dots in the diagram
symbolize the idea O00 (Taiji Ta)
that each time one Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate
of the two forces
reaches its extreme,
it contains in itself already
the seed of its opposite.
15
“Tao produced Oneness.
Oneness produced duality.
Duality evolved into trinity,
and trinity evolved into the ten thousand things:
The ten thousand things support the yin
and embrace the yang.
It is on the blending of aS
the breaths of the yin and the yang r
that their harmony depends.”
[ Ten thousand things(f 1) means infinite number of things
in the China, Korea and Japan.
Philosophy
Dynamics
(0) (a) aii
Oneness _ | Aether/ Fluids |
(0) (a) =
Yin Z
Duality (0) =
(0) ) Yang
. (0) =
Tao Te Ching System
(1 6) Philosophy Dynamics
Yin Aether z
(O00) i
Trinity . Yang Aether +
(0) (O00) —-
a ‘Harmony Aether r — or
. (O00) —
Tao Teching | Poctern 7
() Of) Philosophy Dynamics
SYSTEM
Ten thousand All aN
things | things oe. '
—
[ Central theme of the Buddhism
| Unity of all things and events
[ Interrelation of all things and events
[| Buddhism stresses on Causality
| All things arise and pass away by causality
[| Spatial Causality and Temporal Causality
| All things are linked one another by a cosmic web
C(O0001]
| All things are impermanent and variable vanity
CHOO0]
[ All life is the oneness
| We should have love and compassion on all life
~ <This Life>
<Next Life>
Suffering Clinging Bondage of Karma
Avidya
Samsara
Karma
ee
<Eternal Life>
a
ck S
cingno/
a Path
<Terms>
Avidya : Ignorance
Duhkha : Suffering
Trishna : Clinging
Karma : Never-ending chain of cause and effect
Samsara : Round of birth-and-death
Eightfold Path : Buddha’s prescription to end all
suffering and to lead to state of Buddhahood
Prajna : Transcendental wisdom
Karuna : Love or Compassion
| Bodhi: True enlightened wisdom
| Nirvana : A state of total liberation
22
Static Thinking
Structural Thinking
Linear Thinking
Open-loop Thinking
Detenninistic Thinking
Criteria Type 2 |
Time oe Dynamic Thinking
Rate of Change Functional Thinking
Direction Cyclical Thinking
Boundary a ~Feedback Thinking
Randomness sq" Stochastic Thinking
23
Criteria
Binary Thinking
Broken Thinking
Mechanistic Thinking
Analytic Thinking
Valence Fuzzy Thinking
Connectivity 1a Causal Thinking
Vitality Organic Thinking
3 Holistic Thinking
24
Criteria Buddhism
Time Dynamic Thinking
Rate of Change Functional Thinking
Direction Cyclical Thinking
Boundary Feedback Thinking
Randomness Stochastic Thinking
Valence Fuzzy Thinking
Connectivity Causal Thinking
Vitality Organic Thinking
View Holistic Thinking
25
The summer insect
doesn’t understand the ice
because it is bound to T! ME
X J}
“a 27
The frog in a well
doesn’t understand the sea
because it is bound to SPACE
X J}
_
The stupid scholar
doesn’t understand the truth
because he is bound to
in PREDECESSOR’s dogma _
%. k you
