Lesson 1: Origins of Taoism
This lesson deals with the basic ideas of Taoism and Chinese thought, as well as the two major figures of Taoism, Laozi and Zhuangzi.
Introduction
Taoism can be divided into two distinct but related categories: philosophical and religious. Certainly there is much overlap between the two - texts of an obviously philosophical nature can show up in religious ceremonies, and justification for certain rites can be traced to philosophical principles. When one speaks of "Taoism", one can be correctly referring to both or either of these traditions - neither holds the distinction of being "real" Taoism, though some debate this. The fact is that both have contributed to Chinese culture, and both can boast a long history in the Middle Kingdom.
Philosophical Taoism is much more popular here in the West than religious Taoism is. It is not the basis of all religious Taoism, but to be a religious Taoist one must have some kind of confidence in the truth value of the philosophical and cosmological claims it makes. Thus it is expected that philosophical investigation would precede a full blown acceptance of ritual performance, and philosophical investigation has certainly taken place. There have been several translations of the Dao de Jing, the central work of Taoist literature - and most of these translations focus on the philosophical implications of the work. Taoist philosophers would often become the source of legend and myth, though their works would be studied just as Europeans studied the great Western philosophers.
Religious Taoism currently is much more popular in China and Taiwan than philosophical Taoism. It is there that it is really a "religion", with all the lay devotees, temples, rituals and sacred calendar events we associate with religion. Religious Taoism is not a major tradition here in the West, in the same way Islam and Buddhism are - these religions have been adopted whole-heartedly by many Westerners. However, the religious Taoist tradition is alive and flourishing in Taiwan, and alive and recovering in mainland China.
This course is designed to explore both philosophical and religious Taoism - united, they present a fascinating world view that has not been fully explored here in the West. This particular lesson will focus on the root of both streams - the existing cosmologies and ideas of history in China, and the two major works of Taoism - the Dao de Jing (Tao te Ching) and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). At the close of this lesson there will be a short series of multiple choice questions and two discussion questions. The multiple choice questions will give you a chance to enhance your memory of key terms and ideas presented in the lesson. The discussion questions will encourage you to explore key themes and critically examine them. Feel free to discuss them at home with friends and family, or simply investigate them by yourself. The questions are not mandatory, but will doubtlessly improve your understanding and retention of the material.
