Abstract for: Eastern Thought and Systems Thinking

East Asians and Westerners have kept very different systems of thought for thousands of years. Generally speaking, in contrast to the mechanistic and analytic Western view, the Eastern view of the world is said to be organic. Various philosophies and religions have influenced formation of Eastern thought for thousands of years. Notably, this paper focuses on thoughts of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Yin-Yang theory and thought of Three Essences (time, space, ens). Eastern thought, in general, says that the world is, like a web, an interrelated complex system of the three essences. Therefore, according to Eastern thought, there is no space without time and ens, no time without space and ens, no ens without time and space. They are interpenetrating. The organic and ecological world view of the East Asians is very close to the systems thinking of the System Dynamics. Since, like this, systems thinking essentially has inhabited Eastern thought, Eastern Asians are relatively familiar with systems thinking in their daily life. Hence, this paper aims to seek the profound relation and harmony between ancient Eastern wisdom and modern systems thinking. Such a study could extend basis of System Dynamics across areas of Eastern philosophies.