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The yin-yang of education and research competition

Carmen Costea 

Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest (ASE), 6, Piata Romana sector 1, Bucharest 010374, Romania

Abstract

The Law of Heaven and Earth, known as Feng Shui, promoted the ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangement of space to achieve harmony with the environment. Proponents claim that Feng Shui has an effect on health, wealth and personal relationships. The goal of Feng Shui, as practiced today, is to situate the human built environment on spots with good qi, while areas not suitable for human settlement should be left in their natural state. These unusual tools have allegedly reliable correspondents in the management practices, life, finances and personal relationships.

Every day Life teaches us a lesson that science has only recently acknowledged, that life is dominated by complexity, which challenges us to develop a deeper non-linear dynamic analytic approach, in contrast to the previous linear, reductionist one. Talking the long run consequences of globalization at economic and societal level, we promote a new label in education and research, developing a new philosophy of life and action.

From pseudo science to alternative approach, from placebo effect to self-motivation the oriental and western theories praise formally and eloquently the need for fulfilment and harmony, a better life inside a sound society and environment (as a living entity) where people need to learn once more the role of the community and the value of being. People have reacted in very different ways towards the alleged benefits of these unusual tools that have reliable correspondents into the management practices, on one's life, finances or relationships.

Feng Shui practitioners have been skeptical of claims and methods in the "cultural supermarket. This present state of affairs is still ludicrous and confusing. Do we really believe that mirrors and flutes are going to change people's tendencies in any lasting and meaningful way?  There is a lot of investigation that needs to be done or we will all go down the tubes because of our inability to match our exaggerated claims with lasting changes.

Western philosophy accentuated the primacy of competition over cooperation, while Eastern philosophy eulogized cooperation over competition. In practice, both systems proved dysfunctional: Instead of waiting for the perfect solution we propose to building the right one, a new cohesive philosophy that blends the strengths of both competition and cooperation in the manner of the Eastern philosophy of yin and yang, which emphasizes the strengths that emanate from combining differences creatively. A new model based on returned benefit could be the final purpose of the paper.

Keywords: Yin-Yang, soundness, education, research, complexity, living entity, competition, cooperation, community

 

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Presentation: Poster at International Conference on Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents 2008, by Carmen Costea
See On-line Journal of International Conference on Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents 2008

Submitted: 2008-01-28 10:31
Revised:   2009-06-07 00:48