PH100 Taoism and Confucianism

Daodejing

The Classic of the Way and its Power 4th 3rd c. BCE

Laozi

The "Old Master" who encouraged people to give up worldly desires in favor of nature; he founded Taoism (Daoism).

Qi

The circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things.

Dao

"the way"

wu wei

In Daoism: "No Action", "no strain"; doing only what comes spontaneously and naturally; effortless

yin

the dark negative feminine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology

yang

the bright positive masculine principle in Chinese dualistic cosmology

de

"power/virtue" -- the particular subject of the second half of the daodejing

P'u

"The Uncarved Block," a metaphor for human beings in their natural state before society distorts their true nature through training and education

Ziran

"self-so." The Daoist notion of natural spontaneity

Wanwu (The Ten Thousand Things)

Also translated the "myriad creatures." The totality of particular things in the world; the multiplicity of beings that arise from the Dao

Sheng ren (The Sage)

The ideal person or ruler in the Daodejing who embodies the Dao through non-contention, minimal action, and leading without imposing

The Named and the Nameless

The opening distinction of the Daodejing (chapter 1): the Dao that can be named is not the eternal Dao; the nameless is the origin of heaven and earth, the named is the mother of the ten thousand things

Ren

comprehensive ethical virtue: benevolence, humaneness, goodness

Junzi

"Noble person"; the refined human ideal of Confucianism

Li

ritual; the range of behavior subject to the broad category denoted by this term ranges from political protocol to court ceremony, religious rite to village festival, daily etiquette to disciplines of personal conduct when alone.

Tian

The transcendent, numinous entity in ancient Chinese religion; the conscious Will that regulates the cosmos and intervenes in human affairs; conventionally translated as "Heaven."

Rectification of Names (zhengming)

The principle of using words non deceptively, of saying what one actually means. Fulfilling your social role properly.

shu

Reciprocity; a Confucian virtue