Essay - Taoism Bending Towards the Way of the Tao--how the Taoism...

Taoism

Bending towards the way of ***** Tao--how the Taoism ***** Zhuang and Laozi influenced the polity of Song Dynasty

Next to Confucianism, the most important philosophy ***** the Chinese has undoubtedly been that of *****." (DeBarry, Chan & Bloom, p.48) Taoism is a more elusive philosophy th*****n the more concrete, ancestor-focused and rule bound philosophy of Confucius, as analyzed in the philosopher's famous "Analects." Instead of dictating right from wrong, ***** emphasizes the ideal of so-called pure talk, stressing that people should only talk about ***** good side ***** everything, to create a sense of positive energy and harmony between the spirit and ***** universe. Rather than judgment, placing value upon the material world is de-emphasized, in Tao*****m and simplicity, austerity, and equilibrium rather ***** accru*****g wealth or determining the value of others the world is stressed above all else.

***** most of early ***** his*****ry, Taoism was often "the philosophy and consolation of the gentleman in retirement, of the political failure." (DeBarry, Chan & *****, p.50) It was a religious philosophy distanced ***** the political adm*****istration of China, rather than embraced by the rulers of the empire, unlike Confucianism or even Buddhism. ***** ***** a religion of "seclusion and cultivation," that seemed alien to the demands of the workaday world, much less ***** ways of *****. (DeBarry, Chan & Bloom, p.50) Taoism stood in marked contrast to Confucianism's advocacy of n rigidly hierarchical to life that seemed ***** ide*****y suit the ways of an emperor operat*****g under a mandate of heaven. However, the epoch of ***** would come in the form of the Song *****, which many historians consider the first modern era of Chinese history. For ***** first time, the leadership and the emerging commercial classes embraced the spirit ***** the Tao to an imperial level, because of the economic and social changes gripping ***** at the time.

The Song Dynasty was an era marked ***** increased economic growth, commercialization, urb*****ization, and above all the spread of literacy. For ***** first time, a new elite emerged with "new t*****stes in art and tea...Government by *****ficials largely selected through examinations also gave the political system a modern look, but, after the failure of an ambitious attempt at centralization, government remained limited in its reach. Local elite families, once firmly established, dominated local affairs *****d supplied most of the examination candidates." ("The Song ***** in China," Asian Topics in World History, 2004) In short, Ch*****a developed its ***** middle class, and this middle class found a democratic ***** voice in Taoism, because the Way was open to all, regardless of birth or place in a social or ancestral hierarchy.

Through cultivating a higher mind, and by carefully viewing preparations of tea and o*****r simple pleasures of life ***** the right attentiveness ***** perfection, the elevated *****ual mindset of ***** and the rig*****ous self-perfectionism advocated by Confucianism ***** fell out of fav***** in all of society, instead the force of the Tao became the ruling doctrine. The spiritual forefa*****r *****