The Tao of the West: Western Transformations of Taoist Thought

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Psychology Press, 2000 - 270 pagini

In this book, J.J. Clarke shows us how Taoist texts, ideas, and practices have been assimilated within a whole range of Western ideas and agendas. We see how Chinese thinkers such as Lao-tzu and Chuang tzu, along with practices such as Feng Shui and Tai Chi, have been used as a key Western inspiration in religion, philosophy, ethics, politics, ecology and health.
The Tao of the West not only provides a fascinating introduction to Taoism, it also offers a timely insight into the history of the West's encounter with this ancient tradition, and into the issues arising from inter-cultural dialogue. Anyone interested in understanding the key influence Taoism has had on the West will welcome and embrace this book.

Din interiorul cărții

Cuprins

THE WAY THAT CAN BE TOLD Introduction
xi
Ways and means
7
The way to the West
10
THE MEANING IS NOT THE MEANING On the nature of Daoism
14
The Three Teachings
20
Historical origins
26
CRAMPED SCHOLARS Western interpretations of Daoism
35
Reading Daoism
48
The Way of Sexuality
126
The Way of good health
134
THE WAY IS INCOMMUNICABLE Transcendence
138
landscape painting
147
Transcendence
157
THE TWITTER OF BIRDS Philosophical themes
164
Scepticism relativism and irrationalism
173
Postmodernism
182

THE GREAT CLOD Daoist natural philosophy
61
the standard picture
67
a new paradigm?
72
new ways?
79
GOING RAMBLING WITHOUT DESTINATION Moral explorations
88
The ethics of selfcultivation
93
The politics of anarchism
101
Women and gender
109
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THINGS The alchemy of life sex and health
115
The Way of inner cultivation
120
JOURNEY TO THE WEST By way of concluding
192
Beyond Daoism
201
Chinese dynastic chronology
210
WadeGilesPinyin conversion table
211
NOTES
212
BIBLIOGRAPHY
232
NAME INDEX
257
SUBJECT INDEX
263
Drept de autor

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Pasaje populare

Pagina 238 - RELIGION IN CHINA; containing a brief Account of the Three Religions of the Chinese; with Observations on the Prospects of Christian Conversion amongst that People.
Pagina vii - What these people need is not confession, conjuring of souls, and forgiveness of sins; what is needful is a new justice*. And a new watchword. And new philosophers. The moral earth, too, is round. The moral earth, too, has its antipodes. The antipodes, too, have the right to exist. There is yet another world to be discovered - and more than one. Embark, philosophers! 290 One thing is needful. - To "give style" to one's character - a great and rare art!

Despre autor (2000)

J.J Clarke has taught philosophy at McGill University, Montreal, and at the University of Singapore, and is currently Reader in History of Ideas at Kingston University, UK. He is the author of In Search of Jung, Jung and Eastern Thought, and Oriental Enlightenment: The Encounter Between Asian and Western Thought, all published by Routledge.

Informații bibliografice