Côte d'Ivoire

Reading the works of Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu in succession highlight how truly at opposition the messages are. Though both pieces express the desired way to govern a people, the “Tao-te Ching” speaks of peace, simplicity, and letting the universe work its will, while “The Qualities of the Prince” emphasizes the necessity for war, and the natural wickedness of men. There are no particular reasons that these two ways of thought should be in harmony, one written in the 6th century, and the other…

People often say that money is the root of all evil. Well, that’s not true. In reality, the greed and want for money is the root of evil. In the play A Raisin in the Sun, one character in particular, Willy Harris, who is never actually seen, but rather mentioned, makes this very evident as he takes money from two of his friends for his own personal gain. Taking in the financial situation of the family at the beginning of the play, one can only imagine how hard it would be for them to lose any…

its self, the author behind the work, and how Taoism has grown and changed through the centuries up to present time. Taoism is a religion that originated in china approximately 2,400 years ago. The main principles of Taoism come from the Tao Te Ching which was written by a man named Lao Tzu. He was the keeper of the imperial library and he was famous across the land for his wisdom. Over time Lao Tzu became aware of the impending corruption of…

A bird does not strive to be a better bird, nor a fish lives in angst because he cannot fly. One miraculously discovers one's authentic self within the harmony and balance of the natural order of all that is. In the ‘Tao Te Ching’, 6th century B.C. Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, introduces the Tao as the undefinable inherent truth; the key to unlocking the ebb and flow of a joyous nonresistant life; to the bewilderment of those who choose to suffer the endless cycle of anxiety, worry and fear.…

“There is no calamity greater than lavish desires. There is no greater guilt than discontent. And there is no greater disaster than greed.” These words spoken by Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu accurately portray the destructive nature of the greed and the misfortune that it brings. Greed is a common theme that is woven throughout literature and frequently contributes to the down fall of a character and those in close proximity. Despite the fatality of “dragon-sickness”, there are occasions where a…

true. In my life, I know reality through sensory perceptions and my own experiences, learning from the teachings of others, self-reflection and expression of emotion, and intuition or “understanding without knowing” as is described in Lao-tzu’s Tao Te Ching. Using these faculties, I have structured my own version of reality with which I look at life. Most immediate in my conception of reality are the things that I experience firsthand. Because my entire worldview is framed within the bounds of…

The Taijitu symbol, more commonly known as “yin and yang” represents more than meets the eye. The symbol was partially derived from an ancient manual known as the I-Ching, or Book of Changes (Issitt and Main 251). Like many other symbols, this one was created by combining other symbols together to make a more present and relatable symbol. This symbol represents opposite forces and how they work together in the world. The “Yin and Yang” are a way for citizens to explain nature and how it balances…

Foreword Before delving into the prescribed analysis as required by this assignment, I feel it necessary to provide some background as to why I chose this song as I could have seemingly chosen any other just as easily; however, throughout my troubled years, I found myself frequenting not only this song, but the entire album as well. In my younger years, back when i enjoyed the company of my older siblings on a daily basis before their departure to college, we all struggled in our dealings with…

In China's ancient culture, there were many schools of thought, but the most important two thoughts are Ru tradition from “The Analects” and Daoist School from “Tao Te Ching”, which were created by Confucius and Laozi. Confucius promotes a hierarchical and moral society based on propriety while Laozi promotes a classless and simple social life. Although they seem to be two contradictory propositions, they both claim to go back and rebuild the lost Golden Ages through the way. Confucius…

non-action, as he is not searching for “the Way.” Instead, he allows it to come to him through letting things be the way they are meant to be. By not persistently searching for “the Way” he has been able to become virtuous. a.A quote found in the Tao Te Ching says “Whoever does anything to it will ruin it; whoever lays hold of it will lose it. Therefore the sage, because he does nothing, never ruins anything; and, because he does not lay hold of anything, loses nothing.” i.Much like a…