The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

San-pao Li, Ph.D.Department of Asian and Asian American Studies

California State University, Long Beach

February 27, 2003

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow

(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow

(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow

(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

An Outline

• Philosophic Daoism vs. Religious Daoism

• Essential Teachings of Daoism (Quotations from Laozi and Zhuangzi)

• Daoism vs. Confucianism• Daoist Philosophy and the Chinese Concept

of Aesthetics

Philosophic Daoism

Founded by Lao Tzu (Laozi),

developed by Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi) during the time of the “Hundred Schools,” seeking

the substratum of things and

the constancy of all phenomena.

Religious Daoism

Lao Tzu (Laozi) was deified.

Religious Daoists seek immortality through superstitious practices including divination,

ritualistic ceremonies, and alchemy.

The Book of Lao Tzu

• Chinese civilization and the Chinese character would have been utterly different if the Book of Lao Tzu (Laozi) had never been written

• Even Buddhism has not escaped Daoist influence• Influenced nearly all aspects of Chinese culture• A combination of poetry, philosophical

speculation, and mystical reflection• Distinguished by its gem-like brevity

A Yin-Yang Balance:Confucianism & Daoism

• The Confucian and Legalist socio-ethical thought-complex was masculine, hard, managing, aggressive, rational, and commanding

• The Daoist broke with it radically and completely by emphasizing the feminine, yielding, permissive, withdrawing, mystical, and receptive

Tao (Dao)

The “name” for the

self-contained totality of

all there is and all that happens.

The Attraction of Daoism

• Its total disregard for norms

• Its exhilarating spirit of freedom and individualism

An Outline

• Philosophic Taoism vs. Religious Taoism

• Essential Teachings of Taoism (Quotations from Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu)

• Taoism vs. Confucianism

• Taoist Philosophy and the Chinese Concept of Aesthetics

Essential Teachings of TaoismQuotations from Laozi and Zhuangzi

• Dao (The Way)• Wu-wei (Non-Action)• Female/Water/Valley• Weakness/Passivity• Simplicity• Tranquility (Stillness and Flux)• Spontaneity/Naturalness• Unity (of Multiplicity)• Freedom

Tao (Dao)

The Dao could be described as the natural flowing of

existence.

Tao (Dao)

Purposeful exertion of effort may often obstruct the

natural flow of life.

Tao (Dao)

Allow things to take their own fluid, graceful, peaceful paths

without our interference.

Tao (Dao)

Let life take its own course unharrassed.

Tao (Dao)

Man becomes like a passive leaf on a tree blowing in the

wind, unresisting and yielding.

Tao (Dao)

Tao (Dao)

Tao (Dao)

Tao (Dao)

Tao (Dao)Transcending the world of multiplicities

A Daoist Secret

• drop one’s limbs…..detach from one’s body• strip off all cognitive activities• supreme quietude• be oblivious of the existence of self• the “transformation of things”• mental/intellectual fasting• be like drift wood and dead ashes

An Outline

• Philosophic Daoism vs. Religious Daoism• Essential Teachings of Daoism

(Quotations from Laozi and Zhuangzi)

• Daoism vs. Confucianism• Daoist Philosophy and the Chinese Concept

of Aesthetics

Daoism vs. Confucianism

• Whereas Confucianism is highly structured and hierarchical, Daoism is fluid.

• Confucianism places the ultimate goal of improvement at world peace, Daoism could be said to aim at peace with the world.

A Yin-Yang Balance:Confucianism & Taoism

• The Confucian and Legalist socio-ethical thought-complex was masculine, hard, managing, aggressive, rational, and commanding

• The Daoist broke with it radically and completely by emphasizing the feminine, yielding, permissive, withdrawing, mystical, and receptive

The true spirit of Daoism

The overriding concern of Taoist philosophy is that

man must conform to nature, not to society.

An Outline

• Philosophic Taoism vs. Religious Daoism• Essential Teachings of Daoism

(Quotations from Laozi and Zhuangzi)

• Daoism vs. Confucianism

• Daoist Philosophy and the Chinese Concept of Aesthetics

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophical inquiry

concerned with the understanding of beauty.

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

Alexander Baumgarten, Aesthetics (1750)

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

Plato, SymposiumA. H. Muller (1779-1829)

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

The Platonic notion of the beautiful is hardly distinguishable from the good.

In the Chinese consciousness, the good must demonstrate order and harmony.

Harmonized state of contradictions, according to A. H. Muller (1779-1829), represents the highest good.

Harmony is both an intrinsic quality of art and the sine qua non of real freedom.

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

Coincidentia OppositorumReconciliation of the Opposites

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

San-pao Li, Ph.D.Department of Asian and Asian American Studies

California State University, Long Beach

February 27, 2003

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sanpaoli@csulb.edu

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