History of philosophy tells us, there was always philosophy for West and religion for East.
Although, exceptions are everywhere but I never saw any prophet, who would have descended in West and there is not a single philosopher, who is not directly influenced by religion in East. I think and imagine a border in this respect between the East and West. Same like the border between, religion and science, materialism and spiritualism, dens and light, matter and energy or body and soul.
In the period of Cyrus the great (550 BC), who was the emperor of first super power of the world, Persia, Pythagoras and Thales were founding philosophy. In the time of Cyrus, and his earlier days, wisdom was in the form of religion in east. History of Persia tells us about those legends, who had been playing a part to upgrade the human knowledge, in Persia, Zoroaster, Mani, Mazdak are most prominent names.
In china, Confucius, is famous for his philosophy also believed the founder of Confucianism. Herbert Fingarette, Radical Revisionist calls him The Secular as Sacred and Wikipedia writes,
“Confucianism is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia”. Wikipedia also writes about another great legend of ancient China Lao-tsu,
“Laozi (Lao-tsu) is revered as a god in religious forms of Taoism”
Carl Sagan noticed that,
“Zoroaster, in Persia, founded his school of science, morality and philosophy;
Confucius and Lao-tsu taught in China;
Jewish prophets spoke from Egypt to Babylon in mid-East;
And Gautama Buddha reappraised reality in India.
Sagan mused – “It is hard to think these activities altogether unrelated”
(p. 206 – “Cosmos”)”
On the other hand, Philosophy has been descending in West and got growth from Athens to Spain, and then Spain to German, Italy, England, and after that in America.
In my point of view, East needs well and good understanding of rational thoughts definitely from West as well as West needs a spiritual inspiration from East. Without doing this, the gulf between East and West cannot be roofed.
What do I imagine? There is a little sea between the Greece and the Samos, Coast of turkey, which is the end of east. Samos was an island of founder philosophers. How does wisdom follow the power? It can be seen throughout the history of philosophy. Samos was under the Persian domain and was influenced by Persians. When throne shifted from Persia to Greece, religion converted automatically into pure wisdom in Europe.
I am agreed to Samuel P. Huntington in this respect. He wrote “The Clash of Civilizations”,
“However, require the West to develop a more profound understanding of the basic religious and philosophical assumptions underlying other civilizations and the ways in which people in those civilizations see their interests”