Stevewain

Question One: Self and the Others We have all read Aristotle’s famous line: “man1 is a social creature” (NE 1169b19). In different terms and from different perspectives, many thinkers have discussed the relationship between self and others. Choose two thinkers or texts, drawn from two different parts2 of the course book, and examine their ideas concerning the relation between self and others. Relate these ideas to your own experience: What is the most prevalent kind of relationship in society? What is your ideal relationship between self and others? What can contribute more to harmony in society? The following may help you brainstorm your choice of thinkers/texts and the perspective you will take: Thich Nhat Hanh 一行禪師 sees the emptiness of self as the basis of inter-being 互即互入 . Confucius, on the other hand, regards humaneness 仁 as the innate disposition of caring and concern for the others. For Aristotle, the love of friends is derived from the love of self (NE 1168b3