the daoist philosophy and aesthetics san-pao li, ph.d. department of asian and asian american...
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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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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
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Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow
(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)
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Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow
(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)
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Waldo Japussy,The Tao of Meow
(Columbus, Ohio: Enthea Press, 1990)
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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
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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.
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Religious Daoism
Lao Tzu (Laozi) was deified.
Religious Daoists seek immortality through superstitious practices including divination,
ritualistic ceremonies, and alchemy.
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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
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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
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Tao (Dao)
The “name” for the
self-contained totality of
all there is and all that happens.
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The Attraction of Daoism
• Its total disregard for norms
• Its exhilarating spirit of freedom and individualism
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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
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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
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Tao (Dao)
The Dao could be described as the natural flowing of
existence.
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Tao (Dao)
Purposeful exertion of effort may often obstruct the
natural flow of life.
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Tao (Dao)
Allow things to take their own fluid, graceful, peaceful paths
without our interference.
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Tao (Dao)
Let life take its own course unharrassed.
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Tao (Dao)
Man becomes like a passive leaf on a tree blowing in the
wind, unresisting and yielding.
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Tao (Dao)
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Tao (Dao)
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Tao (Dao)
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Tao (Dao)
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Tao (Dao)Transcending the world of multiplicities
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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
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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
![Page 29: The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach February](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032723/56649d055503460f949d8b5e/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
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.
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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
![Page 31: The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach February](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032723/56649d055503460f949d8b5e/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
The true spirit of Daoism
The overriding concern of Taoist philosophy is that
man must conform to nature, not to society.
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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
![Page 33: The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics San-pao Li, Ph.D. Department of Asian and Asian American Studies California State University, Long Beach February](https://reader030.vdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022032723/56649d055503460f949d8b5e/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophical inquiry
concerned with the understanding of beauty.
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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
Alexander Baumgarten, Aesthetics (1750)
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Plato, SymposiumA. H. Muller (1779-1829)
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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.
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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
Coincidentia OppositorumReconciliation of the Opposites
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The Daoist Philosophy and Aesthetics
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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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Thank You
Your comments and suggestions
are greatly appreciated.