Abstract

One of the main features of the European perception of reality is that it is understood in terms of Parmenides’ wondering that “there is Being”. This concept is crucial for the Western tradition. In Western thought, the issue of Being is presented in pairs with two possible opposites: becoming and non-being. In this article, the concept of Being as it is presented in the Ancient Greek thought will be presented in comparison with similar concepts in Indian and Chinese traditions. The main aim of the paper is to outline the peculiarities and importance of each tradition.

Highlights

  • One of the main features of the European perception of reality is that it is understood in terms of Parmenides’ wondering that “there is Being”. This concept is crucial for the Western tradition

  • The concept of Being as it is presented in the Ancient Greek thought will be presented in comparison with similar concepts in Indian and Chinese traditions

  • Is this concept peculiar for the Western understanding? What is the place of the concept of “being” in Eastern traditions? Some authors explicitly state that the problem of Being is “one which is never sensed or glimpsed in non-Western traditions” (Aubenque, 1991: 14, cit. in O’Leary, 2007: 173)

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Summary

Introduction

One of the main features of the European perception of reality is that it is understood in terms of Parmenides’ wondering that “there is Being”. Is this concept peculiar for the Western understanding? In Western thought, the question of being is connected with two possible opposites: becoming and non-being. 2. The Greek version Parmenides gave the first explicit formulae of the concept of being. The Greek version Parmenides gave the first explicit formulae of the concept of being He described being as single, homogenous, boundless, eternal, unchangeable and immovable. Nor will it be; for it is, all at once, a continuous one (Parmenides, On Nature, VIII, English translation: John Burnet, 1892)

Nikolova – The Question of Being
The Indian version
The Chinese version
Conclusion
Full Text
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