Abstract
Recent studies in social psychology have revealed large differences between the East and the West in recognizing ambience. R.E. Nisbett writes in The Geography of Thought as follows: "The Western eyeshot is like a telescopic lens, while the Eastern one a wide-angle lens."o; These differences appear to originate from the cultures of ancient Greece and ancient China, and can be observed in various situations. The Western recognition characterized as "separating, analytical, and idealistic" has generated ideas such as the Holy Trinity, individualism, and human-centered environmentalism, and that has resulted in various conflicts including environmental problems. The Eastern recognition characterized as "unifying, synthetic, and realistic" may be able to solve these problems. We consider examples such as the global warming issue and the solar wind-climate correlation and look at the differences between the East and West in dealing with them.
