Chinese Intellectual History

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1 Chinese Intellectual History
Seminar on Chinese Intellectual History 5. Classical Daoism Chun-chieh Huang National Chair Professor National Taiwan University Research Fellow, Academia Sinica

2 I. Lecture Notes:

3 1:1. Running Theme of the “three religions”:
1. Introduction 1:1. Running Theme of the “three religions”: the problem of “self” Freedom of the subjectivity 1:2. Differences: a) Confucianism: Cultivating the world b) Buddhism: Forsaking the “three poisons 三 毒 (greed 貪, anger 瞋, ignorance, 痴)” in one’s inner world c) Daoism: Aesthetic appreciation of the world

4 2. Starting Points of Lao Zi’s Philosophy:
2:1. “change”  “permanence”

5 Ch. 23 “A whilwind does not last a whole morning; nor does a rainstorm last a whole day.
What cause them? It is Heaven and Earth (Nature). If even Heaven and Earth cannot make them last long How much less can man!” 希言自然。故飄風不終朝，驟雨不終日。 孰為此者？天地。天地尚不能久，而況於 人乎？（《道德經‧23章》）

6 2:2. What is the nature of the Dao?
Ch. 40 “Reversion is the action of Tao.” 反者道之動。（《道德經‧40章》）

7 2:2. What is the nature of the Dao?
Ch "Being and Non-being produce each other; Difficult and Easy complete each other.“ 故有無相生，難易相成。 （《道德經‧23章》）

8 3. Core Notions of Lao Zi's Philosophy:
3:1. “Non-action,” not “inactivity” but rather “taking no action that is contrary to Nature.” “Autonomy of mind” Transcendental freedom

9 蔡志忠《動畫老子》

10 3:2. The unfolding of “non-action”:
a).  self b).  society c).  state 3:3. Positive dynamism in negative assertion: a). Negation of “moral self” b). Negation of “physical self” c). Negation of “cognitive self”

11 4. Zhuang Zi and His Philosophy:
From Negation to Affirmation “The Equality of Things”

12 The "this" is also the "that. " The "that" is also the "this
The "this" is also the "that." The "that" is also the "this." The "this" has one standard of right and wrong, and the "that" also has a standard of right and wrong. Is there really a distinction between "that" and "this"? Or is there really no distinction between "that" and "this"? When "this" and "that" have no opposites,"' there is the very axis of Tao. Only when the axis occupies the center of a circle can things in their infinite complexities be responded to. The right is an infinity. The wrong is also an infinity. Therefore I say that there is nothing better than to use the light (of Nature). (Chan, pp )

13 是亦彼也，彼亦是也。彼亦一是非，此亦一是非，果且有彼是乎哉？果且無彼是乎哉？彼是莫得其偶，謂之道樞。樞始得其環中，以應無窮。是亦一無窮，非亦一無窮也。故曰：莫若以明。（莊子．齊物論）

14 4:1. Negation of “physical self”
a). Elimination of the distinction between death and life b). Assertion of the equality between “mine” and “thine” 4:2. Negation of the “cognitive Self” a). Elimination of the right and wrong 4:3. Zhuang Zi’s attitude toward culture

15 II. Assignments:

16 ．Chan, Chapter 7, 8, pp ．陳榮捷，上冊，七、八章，頁 ．勞思光，第一冊，第四章，頁

17 Discussion Questions:
III. Discussion Questions:

18 *1. Is Lao Zi an apolitical philosopher? Why?
Or Why not? 2. Discuss Zhuang Zi’s concept of equality.

19 IV. 討論問題

20 莊子的「真人」與儒家的「聖人」有何差異？
儒道兩家皆好以水之意象為喻，兩家之隱喻思維方式各有何差異？各有何特色？ 莊子所說的「見獨」（陳榮捷書，頁275）與儒家的「慎獨」有何異同？

21 V. 延伸閱讀

22 大濱皓：《中国古代の論理》（東京：東京大學出版會，1959）。
大濱皓：《老子の哲学》（東京：勁草書房，1962）。 大濱皓：《莊子の哲学》（東京：勁草書房，1966）。 大濱皓：《中国古代思想論》（東京：勁草書房，1977）。

23 Kuang-ming Wu, Chuang Tzu: World Philosopher at Play (New York: Crossroad, 1982).
Kuang-ming Wu, “Counterfactuals, Universals, and Chinese Thinking,” Philosophy East and West 37, 1 (1987), pp

24 Kuang-ming Wu, The Butterfly as Companion: Meditations on the First Three Chapters of the Chuang Tzu (Albany: SUNY Press, 1990). Reviews: Paul Kjellberg, Philosophy East and West 43, 1 (1993), pp Lee H. Yearley, “The Perfected Person in the Radical Chuang-tzu,” in Victor H. Mair, ed., Experimental Essays on Chuang-tzu (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1983), pp

25 Keyword: “Reversion is the action of Dao” “non-action”
“the equality of things”

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