Selfhood and Identity in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism: Contrasts With the West

Among Western psychologists, the reaction to Eastern ideas of selfhood and identity tends to fall into two extremes. On the one hand, under the pretext of scientism, mainstream psychologists dismiss them as unscientific, to be ignored or at most regarded as an exotic curiosity. On the other hand, a minority do take the Eastern ideas seriously and regard them as a source of inspiration lacking in Western psychology. Dissatisfied with the spiritual emptiness they find in the West, they turn to the East for wisdom and guidance. It seems that a more balanced and critical approach is in order. In this article, I tread into a territory traditionally shunned by mainstream psychologists: Eastern conceptions of selfhood and identity. The primary reasons are twofold. First, psychologists should no longer remain culturally encapsulated and ignore ideas that have informed selfhood and identity for centuries in the worlds most populous communities. Second, through an intellectual journey to the