Philosophy exam 3- Daoism

What are the considered founding documents of Daoism?

Laozi Daodejing considered the founding document of Daoism- he is the one that wrote our book

Who made Daoism?

Laozi- Daoism appeared in the Warring States period (5-3rd Century BCE) and was found during the decline of the Zhou Dynasty.

What is the difference between Confucianism and Daoism?

• Confucius put out ideas on how to control armies, people and states while Laozi said human minds and perspectives were so small

• Confucius looked at trying to find the good in people and society, while Laozi thought humans are what made life not great

• Daoism finds guidelines for human life in nature- human has made it hard, we are starving etc

  • Compare and contrast to Confucius- find the good in human nature

What is Dao and what are some characteristics of it?

• Dao means- The Way

• The Dao is the flow of the universe, it is the source of reality, it is infinite yet complete, and it creates and directs the endless diverse universe

• Dao can not be fully understood

• For Laozi its is not possible to explain the Dao in words

How was the Dao created?

• The Dao was not created it exists by its self and of its self

• The universe was born from Dao but Dao has no interest in it, it does not create for a reason, it just constantly creates and transforms

• We only think the universe cares for us due to out human centeredness

How do the Daoist’s see change? 

Change is the only constant but its regular, recognizable and good

What is the outlook on language to the Daoist’s

Language is limited and based on human perspectives which are narrow

What is the wood uncarved metaphor?

Anything can be anything cuz its not been carved

What is Wu- Wei?

Its more acting but without intent, swimming with Dao not against it. Having an rigid or set mindset is hard in an consistently changing world.

Laozi is creditited to have found and created Daoism, but who else should be to?

Zhang Daoling should be credited aswell

Who was Zhnag Daoling?

In 142CE he received an revelation from the most elevated Lord Lao- the god version of Laozi (God Laozi) who said heaven was organized in an celestial Bureaucracy and the earth is an reflection of the heavens

The group Zhang founded was called The Way of the Celestial Masters and he served as the first master. While Laozi and Zhaungzi wrote before this group about Daoism, this was the time an group had gotten together and organized and consciously did Daoism 

Does Daoism have gods?

Yes! More like spirits and each god or spirit helps with different things. One god you would pray to pass an exam, another you would pray to if you had issues with your friends and so on. 

What are the central concepts of Daoism?

Dao, De, Ziran, Wu-Wei, Wu-Zhi, Wu-Yu and Yin Yang

What is De?

De has been translated variously as virtue, potency, efficacy, integrity or power, Power of being yourself, authenticity

What is Ziran?

the concept of naturalness, spontaneity, and self-so-ness, referring to the inherent, self-generating order of the natural world that exists without human intervention

What is Wu-Wei? 

Try to mirror ourselves with the way things (16)'not passivity, but an ongoing, dynamic achievement of equilibrium

Wie- deliberate action

Wu- no

No action, non-doing, effortless action, actionless action and nonassertive action

Least amount of force and elaboration= go with the flow, do easiest way possible and go with nature

What is Wu-Zhi?

• No knowing

• Un mediated knowing

• Critiquing fixed way of think of things, perception of bias, predetermined meaning (established customer, set concept of categorizes

• Intuitive knowing

What is Wu-Yu?

• No desire

• Deferential desire

• Not absent of desire - but no ego desire

What is Yin Yang?

pattern of how things grow, die and go back to the group in an recognized pattern

• Sun vs shade on hill- always changing

• need both sides to keep balance  or harmony