Taoism
The Great Tao flows everywhere.
It may go left or right
All things depend on it for life.
and it does not turn away from them.
It accomplishes its task, but does not claim
credit for it.
It clothes and feeds all things
but does not claim to be master
over them.
Tao Te Ching,
Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu
Origins of Taoism
The origins are ancient, dating back to the time of Conf
ucius: 551-479.
Taoism’s beginnings are shrouded in mystery.
It is not certain whether the founder of Taoism, Lao
Tzu, ever actually existed.
There are accounts, however legendary, about Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu
Born in 604 B.C. E., his name means “old master.”
He was conceived by a shooting star.
When his mother gave birth to him, he was already
eighty two years old, a wise man with flowing white
hair.
He worked as a government archivist.
Eventually, he became disinchanted with the
corruption of government.
He left his town after taking three days to write down
his words of wisdom, The Tao Te Ching.
Lao Tzu
Lao = Old/ Venerable
/ Tzu = Master
The Tao Te Ching
Authored by Lao Tzu, it is Taoism’s foundational text.
It is 81 short chapters, dating back to the 3rd. century,
b.c.e.
It contains many paradoxes and profound teachings on
living in harmony with nature.
Those who know do not speak; Those who speak do
not know.
Chuang Tzu
Taoism’s second founder seems to have lived from
369 to 286 b.c.e.
The Chuang Tzu, his text, is as important as the Tao
Te Ching but not as well known.
He is known for his humor, profound lessons and
stories.
The central theme of his work is the relativity of
things: “Who is to say, it asks, exactly what is good,
what ought to be done, or even who we are, when
answers to such questions are so dependent on particular
circumstances?
The Philosophy of Tao
Tao is both the ultimate source and principle of order
in the universe.
Tao has two components, yin and yang.
Taoism regards moral values as relative and avoids
absolute moral judgments.
Taoism literature says nothing about the afterlife and
depicts death as one of nature’s transformations from
one state to another.
Humans are part of the grand harmony of nature and
to live in accord with the Tao is the only way to thrive.
Yin and Yang
Traits of Yin and Yang

Yin
 Negative
 Passive
 Feminine
 Earthly

yang
 Positive
 Active
 Masculine
 Heavenly
Virtues in Taoism
Wu-wei = primary virtue and means “non-action.” To
practice wu-wei is to be so perfectly in harmony with
nature that its energy infuses and empowers the
individual.
Humility and noncompetition
Naturalness and naturalism
Nonaggression and passive rule
Nothing in the world is softer than water,
Yet nothing is better at overcoming the hard and strong.
This is because nothing can alter it.
That the soft overcomes the hard
And the gentle overcomes the aggressive
is something that everybody knows
But none can do themselves.
Therefore the sages say:
The one who accepts the dirt of the state
Becomes its master.
The one who accepts its calamity
Becomes the king of the world.
Truth seems contradictory.
(Ch. 78, trans. Muller)
Other Taoist Values
Rejection of self-assertiveness and
competition
– “Standing on tiptoe you are unsteady”
(24)
Avoidance of aggression
– “If you want to grab the world and run it/I
see that you will not succeed” (29)
Naturalism, naturalness, simplicity
Relativity