Self-Cultivation in Chinese and Greco-Roman Philosophy: Nourishing the Heart/Mind and Playing Roles

In early China and ancient Greece, self-cultivation was considered crucial for leading a flourishing, fulfilled life.In this cross-cultural study, David Machek presents and interprets six influential Greek and Chinese self-cultivation theories advocated by Mengzi, Zhuangzi and Xunzi, as well as Plato, Aristotle and the Stoics, in order to put forward the overarching narrative that self-cultivation amounts to strengthening the best part of the human self - the heart in the Chinese context, and the mind in the Greek context.Advancing new readings of classic texts, Machek shows that Greek approaches to self-cultivation privilege intellectual pursuits, while Chinese approaches give more weight to non-intellectual activities, such as learning manual crafts and performing rituals.He also demonstrates how both ancient traditions understand the self as a heterogeneous community of organic entities, each needing different provisions to flourish, which aligns the ancient Greek view closer to the