God, Self, and Identity: A Comparative Examination of Eastern and Western Philosophy of Religion

This project is intended to prove that Eastern philosophy can be used along with Western philosophy to further what seems to be the limitation of human comprehension. The paper will focus on Hinduism in comparison with three Western philosophers: GWF Hegel, Baruch Spinoza, and John Locke. This paper will be a unique take on the philosophy of religion through a comparative philosophy approach. The paper will explore three main topics: God, Self, and Identity. It will do so through a case study on each topic. The case studies are to be seen as evidence that this form of comparative philosophy can be beneficial in progressing philosophy. The case studies are not intended to be separate from one another. While they can exist alone as evidence of the conclusion, they are intended to be read in sequence as there is a clear connection that exists between them. This paper is not intended to be a complete analysis of religion. Rather, it is intended to show the relationship between Western and Eastern philosophy through the philosophy of religion and a comparison of Abrahamic religion with Hinduism.