COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF IRRATIONAL CONCEPTS IN CONTEMPORARY EASTERN AND WESTERN PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

This article explores the concept of the irrational in contemporary philosophy through a comparative analysis of Eastern and Western traditions. While Western thought often frames the irrational in terms of rupture, limit, or existential crisis - whether through the unconscious, anxiety, or the absurd - Eastern traditions regard it as a pathway to higher knowledge, spiritual insight, and harmony. The study draws on recent scholarship to show how categories such as intuition, emptiness, spontaneity, and unveiling function as epistemic resources in Indian, Buddhist, Daoist, and Sufi contexts. In contrast, Western debates emphasize symbolic structures, affective experiences, and the fragility of rational control. By juxtaposing these perspectives, the article demonstrates that irrationality is not merely the negation of reason but a constitutive aspect of human existence. The comparative approach highlights both divergences and convergences, suggesting that intercultural dialogue offers new possibilities for philosophy of mind, ethics, and the understanding of human subjectivity in the twenty-first century.