The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

1. 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

2. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

3. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

4. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

5. Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

6. Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

7. Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)

8. 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

9. 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.

10. Religious Daoism Lao Tzu (Laozi) was deified. Religious Daoists seek immortality through superstitious practices including divination, ritualistic ceremonies, and alchemy.

11. 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

12. 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

13. Tao (Dao) The “name” for the self-contained totality of all there is and all that happens.

14. The Attraction of Daoism • Its total disregard for norms • Its exhilarating spirit of freedom and individualism

15. 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

16. 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

17. Tao (Dao) The Dao could be described as the natural flowing of existence.

18. Tao (Dao) Purposeful exertion of effort may often obstruct the natural flow of life.

19. Tao (Dao) Allow things to take their own fluid, graceful, peaceful paths without our interference.

20. Tao (Dao) Let life take its own course unharrassed.

21. Tao (Dao) Man becomes like a passive leaf on a tree blowing in the wind, unresisting and yielding.

22. Tao (Dao)

23. Tao (Dao)

24. Tao (Dao)

25. Tao (Dao)

26. Tao (Dao)Transcending the world of multiplicities

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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.

30. 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

31. The true spirit of Daoism The overriding concern of Taoist philosophy is that man must conform to nature, not to society.

32. 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

33. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics • Aesthetics is a branch of philosophical inquiry concerned with the understanding of beauty.

34. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics • Alexander Baumgarten, Aesthetics (1750) • Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) • Plato, Symposium • A. H. Muller (1779-1829)

35. 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.

36. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics • Coincidentia Oppositorum • Reconciliation of the Opposites

37. The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics

38. 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

39. Please Keep in Touch http://www.csulb.edu/~sanpaoli sanpaoli@csulb.edu

40. Thank You Your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.