One of the basic tenants of Taoism is that people should try to live in harmony with nature. Taoists who hold this belief would most likely advocate finding a solution to which modern challenge?
Answers
Taoism, like Confucianism, rests on the concept of harmonic order in nature and society. Both Confucius and Lao-Tze shared the concept of Tao but Taoism differed considerably from Confucianism since it sought enlightenment in ultimate, rather than inner-worldly principles of cosmic order. Tao means “the eternal order of the cosmos and at the same time, its course, an identification frequently found in a metaphysics but which lacks a thorough dialectical structure.” (Weber 1951, p.181). It is difficult, for example, to conceive of the concept of Tao since “the Tao which can be conceived is not the real Tao”.
Lao-Tze brought Tao into some form of god seeking the mystic. Taoists sought happiness or supreme good by severing themselves completely free from worldly interests and passionate desires until release from all activity was attained (wu wei or vo vi in Vietnamese). The important Taoist principles are inaction, simplicity and living in harmony with nature. Taoist philosophical principle rested on a belief in the law of unity of the two opposite forces: yin and yang. If one tried too hard to attain a certain want, the law of reverted effort would start to operate and as a result, the effect would be the exact opposite of that desired. Governance was an example given; according to Lao-tze: “governing a large state is like boiling a small fish” (Tao Te Ching). If one boils ‘a small fish’, one need not remove its inside organs nor stir it but simply cook it gently over a little heat. The metaphor ‘governing a large state is like boiling a small fish’ is itself open to interpretation but the author believes that the rulers of China and Vietnam are still greatly influenced by Taoism in the way they govern.
Taoism as a philosophy has had an influence on modern thought. Some great Western thinkers such as Carl Jung admitted to being inspired by Taoism. Needham also pointed out that:
“The Tao is the Order of Nature, which brought all things into existence and governs their every action, not so much by force as by a kind of natural curvature in space and time…The sage is to imitate the Tao, which works unseen and does not dominate. By yielding, by not imposing his preconception on nature, he will be able to observe and understand, and so to govern and control.” (Needham 1956, cited by Yang, 1951).
Taoism, however, with its contemplative mysticism and cultivation of magic turned the world into an irrational realm of spirits and demons. Mark Weber correctly concluded that Taoism supported traditionalism even more strongly than Confucianism (Weber, 1951).