Laozi

on ren and xiao which mean benevolence and filial piety, respectively. He believes that filial piety and benevolence are interconnected and says “filial piety and respect for elders constitute the root of Goodness. (Analects, 1.2)” On the contrary, Laozi suggests in the Daodejing that “cut off benevolence, abandon righteousness, and people will return to being filial and kind. (Daodejing,…

The texts Daodejing by Laozi and Inferno by Dante both provide a powerful definition and illustration of virtue, which determines the future of an individual. Under Daodejing, virtue is defined as the power intrinsic in each thing in its natural state and the force that allows humans to reach their full potential. To achieve this power, one must follow the natural way of being uncorrupted, and ultimately it will reach their goals. The Inferno talks about a number of virtues as well as sins that…

The concept of dao (the Way) has been a fundamental component to various schools of Chinese philosophy, in particular the school of Confucianism and Daoism. Xunzi, a Confucian scholar, and the Laozi, the Daoist text otherwise known as the Daodejing), illustrate how the concept of dao integrated in all aspects of life of ancient Chinese civilians. Though they share similarities in the audience consuming their working definition of dao, there are certainly disparities in the ideologies of the Way…

to my class from The Tao Te Ching written by Laozi portray incredible examples to help explain the concepts of dualism and nonduality. My personal favorite of the passages is passage thirteen which states, “Success is as dangerous as failure…What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure? Whether you go up the ladder or down it, your position is shaky. When you stand with your two feet on the ground, you will always keep your balance...” (Laozi). As you can clearly see, the dualistic…

The Origins of Daoism It is explained in three different theories listed below. Attitudinal Daoism I: Anarchism Attitudinal Daoism II: Authoritarian Intuitionism Pre-Laozi Daoist Theory Much of the thrust of Daoism, as we have seen, naturally motivates a reaction against the moralistic and elitist inclinations of Confucianism. Confucianism stood for a rigid, detailed, traditional pattern of hierarchical social behavior. Duties were assigned to all of one's social roles—and a person typically…

appears frequently. Even within a specific text, such as the Laozi, the idea of The Way wavers from chapter to chapter. Nevertheless, out of all the seemingly contradictory explanations, the meaning of the Dao arises. While Chapter 1 expresses the most accurate understanding of The Way through its’ description and syntax, other passages such as Chapter 4 and Chapter 25 support and expand the interpretation, respectively. For the Laozi to begin it’s first sentence with an expression describing…

Taoism is a religious, philosophical and ritual tradition originating in around the 3rd or 4th century. I plan to pursue how the religion was affected by the culture in which it arose. Specifically focusing on the fact that there are no real deities in Taoism. How was Taoism, or Daoism, shaped and influenced by Chinese culture to evolve into a religion that lacks prominent deities. I plan to explore how the teachings of the Dao De Jin, or Tao Te Ching, present the central entity in Taoism, the…

In the Daodejing, Laozi advocates the idea of wuwei, which literally translates to “nonaction” as it is referred to in the text (Chapter 2, pg. 164). However, this does not imply it is best to do nothing at all, but rather asserts that we should act through nonaction implying in a sense to go along with the course of nature (Chapter 63, pg. 194). As Laozi says, “the Way does nothing yet nothing is left undone” (Chapter 37, pg. 179). Therefore, harmony will come from letting actions come…

Essentially, loyal advisors should remind the ruler to govern with the welfare of his subjects in mind. Daoism opposes this strategy altogether. They believed that striving to change things for the better usually made them worse. The thinking of the Laozi was that people would be better off if they were less knowledgeable, curious, envious, and conflictive. In short, Daoism was hands-off. Often, Confucianism and Daoism challenge one another on several points. They used opposing methods to…

Every leader of Zhou must follow the teachings of either Confucius, Mozi, and Laozi. I believe the most effective empire will be run using Confucian teaching since it allow for social cohesion while supporting learning and effective government tactics. Confucius education stating “In education there should be no class distinctions.” I find this to be important since it will allow for the cultivation of the most talented individuals in society. We will not be forced to rely on merely nobles but…