Lecture18 NeoTaoism Nov 8 Chinese Philosophy Lectures杜兰大学中国哲学课堂教学PPT.ppt

Wang Pi (226-249 AD) 王弼 and Ho yen (195-249AD) 何晏 Both are people in Wei (in Three Kingdoms period) Wong Pi’s commentaries on Lao Tzu was once the oldest version of Lao Tzu in China (until 1973) (that’s why Chan 316 says “that on the latter being the oldest in existence.”) See Fung 219 on Wang Pi’s conversation on Wu (non-being) PHIL 2931 Neo Taoism Schedule Chinese History: from Han to Southern and Northern Dynasties The affection from Han Confucianism to Neo-Taoism Meaning and Significance of Neo-Taoism Two “streams”: Rationalists and Sentimentalists People Liu An (Huai-Nan Tzu) (179-122 B.C.) 劉安 (淮南子) Yang Hsiung (53 BC to 18 AD) 楊雄 Wang Ch’ung (27 to 100 AD) 王充 Wang Pi (226-249 AD) 王弼 Ho yen (195-249AD) 何晏 Hsiang Hsiu (221 to 300 AD) Kuo Hsiang (d. 312 AD) 郭象 And many others......=.= Chronology of Dynasties See the Table /history/time_line.html Han Three Kingdom, Chin/Jin, to Southern and Northern Dynasties Southern and Northern Dynasties Southern and Northern Dynasties Three Branches of “Neo-Taoism” Religious Taoism Political Taoism Philosophical (Neo) Taoism All of these terms are misleading or confusing. (They are not only about Taoism from Lao Tzu or Chuang Tzu) Religious Taoism (Fung 211-212) It begins around the middle or late Han Dynasty (e.g. Yellow Turban Rebellion 黃巾之亂, Zhang Lu’s “Way of the Five Pecks of Rice” 張鲁, 五斗米道) Adapting a lot of religious doctrines in history, ordinary people, and even Buddhism! (unrecognizable to early philosophical Taoism!) Buddhism-Religion vs Taoism-Religion Buddhism-Philosophy vs Taoism-Philosophy Political Taoism Wu-wei, defense of weakness (softness), non-compete…. All becomes technical terms and means (but not end) in politics Combining with Legalism, or even Moism (on totalitarianism) Also not philosphical-Taoism Philosophical Neo-Taoism (?) This is also controversial whether it is really a development of the early philosophical Taoism (Sometimes they also don’t think that they are) Re-interpretation of Con