Shouldn't moral distinctions be abandoned if we must live in harmony with the Tao? If the Tao makes no such distinctions, why should its followers? Indeed, Chuang Tzu belittles those who embrace such distinctions, declaring that they "must be either stupid or wrong" (SBCP, p. People distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil, but the impersonal Tao identifies them all as one. This is unsurprising given the impersonalism of Taoist philosophy. The Tao identifies them all as one" (SBCP, p. generosity, strangeness, deceit, and abnormality. Only a personal agent can fill such roles.Ĭhuang Tzu explicitly teaches moral relativism: "In their own way things are all right. But the Tao cannot make such distinctions and serve as an objective source of ethics. Such distinctions are not ultimately dependent on our preferences or feelings they are essential to reality. What becomes of morality? Can an impersonal force be the source of objective moral values? Can an impersonal force distinguish good from evil, or can such distinctions be made only by personal beings? What of our sense of obligation to do good and avoid evil? Can we be morally obligated to obey an impersonal force, or does our nagging sense of obligation presuppose a Lawgiver who holds us accountable?Īll honest people recognize objective distinctions between moral good and evil. If ultimate reality is impersonal, as Taoism suggests, significant questions are raised. But ultimate reality cannot be both personal and impersonal at the same time and in the same sense. The Tao is like a force, principle, or energy the Christian God is a personal being. The greatest difference is that the Tao is impersonal whereas God is personal. This dialogue should acknowledge any common ground that we share as well as our differences (see Acts 17). This may be a point of contact to begin a meaningful dialogue between Christians and Taoists about ultimate reality. 224 hereafter CGWR).Įven so, the Tao and God are similarly credited with creating heaven and earth. Halverson, ed., The Compact Guide to World Religions, p. Indeed, some scholars speak of the Tao as "an impersonal force of existence that is beyond differentiation" (Dean C. Properly speaking, Taoists view the Tao more as a principle than a person. 194).ĭoes Chuang Tzu view the Tao as Creator in the same way that Christians view God? Probably not. For example, Chuang Tzu teaches: "Before heaven and earth came into being, Tao existed by itself from all time. His thoughts on the Tao are similar to Lao Tzu's. So, the Tao sounds awfully similar to the Christian God, doesn't it? However, some of these similarities are more apparent than real-and there are also major differences.Īfter Lao Tzu, the most important philosophical Taoist is Chuang Tzu (399–295 BC ), author of the text Chuang Tzu. Apparently, it gave birth to the universe. Independent and unchanging, it operates everywhere. The Tao, then, is prior to the physical universe. It may be considered the mother of the universe. It operates everywhere and is free from danger. Soundless and formless, it depends on nothing and does not change. There was something undifferentiated and yet complete, which existed before heaven and earth. In chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching we read: Though words cannot fully explain the Tao, they can suggest it. that can be told of is not the eternal Tao" (Wing-Tsit Chan, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy, p 139 hereafter SBCP ). This is difficult, for the Tao Te Ching asserts that words are inadequate to explain the Tao: "The Tao. To live in harmony with the Tao, we must get an idea of what it is. Action in harmony with the Tao is called wu-wei, which literally means "non-action." Practically, wu-wei describes action that reduces friction in interpersonal relationships, intra-psychic conflict, and our relation to nature to a minimum (Huston Smith, The World's Religions, p. One does this by living in harmony with the Tao (way) of all things: the way of nature, of society, and of one's self. The chief goal of philosophical Taoism is to conserve life's vitality by not expending it in the useless ways of friction and conflict. Although we do not know much about his life, he left his teachings behind for posterity in a brief work called Tao Te Ching, that is, "The Way and Its Power/Virtue." The term Tao is typically translated as "way" or "path." Philosophical Taoism, often represented by the yin-yang symbol, originated in China with the teacher Lao Tzu (604–517 BC ).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |