While the philosopher Zhu Xi emphasized developing the “heart-mind” as a way of achieving balance within oneself and between individuals within society at large, the modern western philosophers Barauch Spinoza (1632-1677) and Arne Naess (1912-2009) show how understanding one’s place in nature can lead to a sense of deeper connection to the world that goes beyond theoretical intellectual knowledge to a kind of deeper emotional knowledge. Despite feeling we sometimes have to the contrary, there is no sharp division between where the self ends and the world begins.
The post In the article “Why Seek Self-Realization” in Aeon, professor of philosophy Helen de Cruz (St. Louis University, Missouri) tries to provide perspective on the relationship between moral psychology and the climate crisis first appeared on Writeden.