Taoism

• Chinese/Japanese: 道教 (dào jiào / dou kyou)

Taoism or Daoism is a major ancient Chinese philosophy that advocates following the natural order of things, known as the Tao (lit. "The Way"). The chief ancient text describing the beliefs of Taoism is the Tao Te Ching (道德經, pinyin: dào dé jīng), also known as the Laozi after its supposed author, Lao Tzu (pinyin: Lǎozǐ).

The text is believed to have first appeared in the 3rd century BCE, though the term "Taoism" did not become common until the 2nd century BCE. Prior to that time, Daoist beliefs were known as "the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Lao Tzu" or as "the teachings of Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi." As the name Lao Tzu, or Laozi, is not in fact a name but simply means "the old master," it remains unclear as to whether this old master was a specific individual historical figure, or if so, who he was.

The oldest copies of the text are two copies found in a 1973 archaeological excavation at Mawangdui in Hunan province, dating to the Former Han Dynasty (c. 206 BCE to 8 CE). The contents of these copies of the text are arranged in a different order from what has traditionally become standard, and so to distinguish these texts from the standard traditional version, these Mawangdui copies are known as the Dédàojīng instead of the Dàodéjīng.

Taoism was the chief official political philosophy of the Qin Dynasty. It became overshadowed in later eras by Confucianism, but remained quite influential, with Confucianism coming to absorb many aspects of Taoist attitudes. Furthermore, while Confucianism became dominant in official political and bureaucratic contexts, scholar-officials embraced Taoism (or at least paid lip service to the notion of such belief) in their private lives. The imagined ideal literatus was in tune with nature, and with the Tao, even as he followed the teachings of Confucianism in his official duties.

References

• "The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi," Sources of Chinese Tradition, 77-79.