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It is well known that the three bundles of bamboo strips found at Guōdiàn containing versions of materials appearing in the Lăozĭ included no passages from the last fifteen chapters of the received text. This article examines closely those final fifteen chapters, arguing that they articulate a coherent philosophical position fundamentally different from and even opposed to that of the Guōdiàn materials. The foundation of the last fifteen chapters is an anthropomorphic conception of heaven that supports the good, a view explicitly rejected in the rest of the Lăozĭ. These last fifteen chapters support the use of punishments, show no awareness of skepticism about language or moralizing categories, and they have no concern with internal practices of self-cultivation. The article concludes with some reflections on the background of the last fifteen chapters and on the significance of this argument for interpreting the Lăozĭ, particularly the split between so-called "religious" and "philosophical" readings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present an account of ming 明 in the Zhuangzi's Neipian in light of the disagreements among the thinkers of the time. We suggest that ming is associated with the Daoist sage's vision: he sees through the debaters' attempts to win the debates. We propose that ming is primarily a meta-epistemological stance, that is, the sage understands the nature of the debates and does not enter the fray; therefore he does not share the thinkers' anxieties. The sage takes his stance at the pivot of dao ( daoshu 道樞) and, from there, responds to the different views limitlessly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bstract This article is intended to investigate how the concept of the Way ( dao) is applied in the Analects of Confucius both as a universal norm and as a practical application in association with other concepts, virtue ( de) on the one hand, and ability or skill ( neng) or method ( fang) on the other. Through a synthetic reconstruction of these concepts, it will come to the conclusion that the Way, virtue, and practical skills are the three central and mutually interpreted themes in the ethical discourse as presented in the Analects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the political thought of the Song-dynasty Chan monk Qisong (1007-1072). In opposition to earlier studies, which have tended to view Qisong's political theorizing simply as an offshoot of his philosophical syncretism, it is contended here that his political arguments played an important role in his refutation of the Ancient-style Learning movement's attacks against Buddhism. As is well known, several Song-dynasty proponents of Ancient-style Learning impugned Buddhism for the negative impact it exerted on Chinese social and political culture. Qisong responded to their attacks by crafting a comprehensive political theory, which sought to demonstrate not only that Ancient-style Learning thinkers had misunderstood the dao and proper governance, but also that Buddhist institutions were indispensable to the creation of political order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a pioneer in psychologically exploring Eastern religions and philosophies, Jung has been accused of psychologism and fashioning spiritual traditions to confirm his own theories. The author looks at Jung's engagement with the Taoist text, The secret of the golden flower; exploring Jung's writing of a commentary, in the context of his life and interests at the time. In noting some of the concepts he took from his reading, Jung's commentary is placed back in the context of the Chinese alchemical tradition to look at Jung's ambivalence to the East. The arising problematic distinctions between the psychological and spiritual are explored. Finally, the commentary is discussed in the light of Jung's methodology that can be seen as producing valuable insights not only through his technique of amplification, but also through the paradox borne of the shadow of that technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author develops a version of skepticism that lies at the intersection of epistemology and ethic as a heuristic for understanding the philosophy of the fourth-century BCE Daoist text, the "Zhuangzi." He cites ancient Greek traditions, among them those ascribed to Sextus Empiricus, where skepticism is understood not merely as a negative epistemology, but rather as a nondogmatic or aporetic attitude of open-mindedness, that was seen as contributing to a set of ethical recommendations for living a productive life. Then he explains how the "Zhuangzi" moves from nondogmatic skepticism to a notion of dao that is construed as a central component of the productive life.

The article focuses on the interpretation by British Sinologist A. C. Graham of the central insight of Zhuangzi's philosophy with a focus on the dialogue of the book "Autumn Floods." Graham perspectives characterizes distinct interpretations of Zhuangzi's concepts. The significant links between the book to philosophy are concerned with discovering the innate connection to the ultimate source of all things called the Dao or Tao.

Discusses the esoteric doctrine proposing to change the traditional Platonic interpretative paradigm and reconsiders the interpretation put forth by Giovanni Reale and Hans Krämer in the light of Chinese thought. Equal originality of yang and yin and the One and the Dyad; Critical importance of the concept of measure; Examination of the puzzling similarities between Platos esoteric teachings and the principles of Dao.

It is a common view among commentators of the Analects,the collection of the Chinese philosopher Confucius teaching, that "dao," the chinese philosophical term, is explicable or definable in terms of another philosophical term "ren." The first difference is that the prevailing of dao is determined by "ming" (Fate) but the achievement of ren depends on the individual entirely. The second difference is that a gentleman should worry about the prevailing of "dao" but not the achievement of "ren." The third difference is that an individual can lean upon "ren" while one can only set his heart upon "dao."

The great insight of Daoism lies in its perception and understanding of the dao in its relation to language or thinking. Language is invented for the purpose of representing things in the world and for communication among people. Language, whether in words or in speeches, has reference of extension by limitations and expression of intention by conceptual distinction. Language externalizes and symbolizes the concepts of things and one way to understand things is to conceptualize them and project them as defined entities. The best way to conceive the dao is to consider it as both transcendent and immanent, as both originating and supporting, as both self-fulfilling and others-fulfilling, and to see its transcendence as linked to its immanence and vice versa.

Discusses a definition and interpretation of the notion of the Way in the Chinese text 'Xunzi.' Book's description of a great 'xianqin' Confucianist system; Occurrence of the words 'bian' (change) and 'Dao' (Way); Classification of change by the 'Xunzi'; Definition of the Way as that which is in itself constant and governs all changes.

Addresses the question of the relationship between metaphysical discussions and the ethical teachings in Daodejing. Question of whether Daodejing is an attempt to show the way of the invisible; Contradiction in Daodejing; Similarities between the writings of Emmanuel Levinas and Daodejing; Ethics as the only possible approach to the dao.

‘Nature’ may be understood, for environmental purposes, as whatever happens when we, or other agents under the direction of abstract thought, let things be. From this point of view it is accordingly never too late to ‘return to nature’. To do so is not to restore a lost set of things or attributes, but rather to allow a certain process to begin anew. This process recommences whenever that which already exists — whether it be of nonhuman or human provenance — is permitted to endure. ‘Environmentalism’ is thus conceived in broadly Taoist rather than ecological terms, as involving the affirmation of the given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]