The Humanist Spirit Of Daoism

In The Humanist Spirit of Daoism, the eminent Chinese thinker Chen Guying presents his understanding of the significance of Daoist philosophy. He conceives of Daoism as a deeply humanist way of thinking that can give rise to contemporary socio-political critiques.

Professor Xu Xiaoyue, a top-notch scholar specializing in ancient Chinese philosophies and religions, displays essential constituents of Chinese humanism before readers. According to him, key concepts such as Confucian ten virtues, Daoist Way and Buddhist metaphysical voidness play quite a significant role in shaping the Chinese humanism, which not only is historically indispensable to the creation of traditional Chinese culture but it also realistically matters to present-day China’s cultural reconstruction in the world that is being remolded by the roots.

Throughout the years there have been several editions of Zhuang Zi's book with significant differences in certain parts of the text. Not every word in the book came from Zhuang Zi's pen. Contributions were made by his disciples and there have been many changes to the original text: errors in hand copying the text, in mistaking notations for text, and in outright forgery throughout centuries. Chen Guying's 1976 edition of the book, an eclectic study of all the editions that identifies probable forgeries, is used as the text reference in the present translation.

This book introduces into the current global ethics debate models of humanism developed in classical Chinese traditions, which have not yet been comprehensively presented to Western scholarship or integrated into the framework of global discourses on social ethics and morality. It creates new paradigms for an understanding of humanism that meets the demands of our time. It begins by presenting European descriptions and critical assessments of this discourse, and then moves to an exploration of humanistic ideas shaped through historical developments in Asia, with a focus on the Chinese tradition. In this sense, the book is written from a transcivilizational perspective. The methods used in the research transcend---that is, surpass and overcome---the rigid, isolating, and essentialist concept of civilization. At the same time, the book points to the possibility of transformation through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between different civilizations. Within this framework, the book starts from the assumption that the ontology of civilizations and cultures is not based on immutable substances, but on the relations between different factors that constitute them as categories. The transcivilizational perspective rooted in transcultural dialogues between philosophies that originated in different cultures and civilizations is particularly valuable because of the globalized world in which we live today. This means that the problems that affect people in different parts of the world and the issues that are embedded in different geopolitical and developmental frameworks also affect all of humanity. This book is of particular interest to scholars and students of global ethics, globalization, Asian philosophy and Sinology.

The chapters in this anthology present an encompassing perspective of how some Chinese martial art styles—and most significantly taijiquan—developed and evolved along with deep rooted traditions of spirituality and the quest for health and longevity. Much in this volume deals with Daoist theories and practices, particularly its influences ranging from human energetics (qigong) and other physical exercises (daoyin), to practical combative arts.

Digital Humanism explores how Humanism can help us to critically understand how digital technologies shape society and humanity, providing an introduction to Humanism in the digital age.

"It is a significant, momentous fact that in the third millennium before Christ, an incarnation of Lucifer in the flesh actually took place in the east of Asia. And from this incarnation of Lucifer in the flesh--for this being became a teacher--there went forth what is described as the pre-Christian, pagan culture that still survived in the gnosis of the earliest Christian centuries." --Rudolf Steiner (The Influences of Lucifer and Ahriman) In the West today, Laozi--who lived sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BC--is perhaps the best-known (along with Confucius) ancient Chinese philosopher, owing to numerous modern renderings of his Daodejing (or Tao Te Ching). Eric Cunningham relates the substance of Laozi's classic work to modern philosophers and thinkers--especially Rudolf Steiner and his esoteric cosmology and philosophy, drawing significant and surprising parallels and contrasts with regard to Steiner's modern path of inner development and to aspects of popular culture. In doing so, he also sheds light on the evolution of consciousness and the universality of Laozi's wisdom of more than two millennia ago. Cunningham combines a new translation of the Chinese classic Daodejing with a unique interpretation of the Dao for today, innovatively employing perspectives of Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy interwoven with esoteric world history. Inspirations for this singular reading of the Daodejing includes the suggestion by contemporary esoteric scholars that the mythical Yellow Emperor of Chinese history was a human incarnation of the spirit called Lucifer in the West. This argument has been used to explain the ways in which "demigods" have inserted themselves into the earthly sphere to affect human evolution and history. This theory resonates with certain readings of Genesis 6 and the idea that fallen angels have penetrated the human world and promoted the establishment of ruling classes and elite bloodlines throughout history. The Luciferic Verses considers such claims from the perspective of esoteric history. The author evaluates them on the basis of their convergence with kindred concepts--including Zen enlightenment, mysticism, and the "simulation" hypothesis depicted in the Matrix films--revealing the activities and historical implications of Gnosticism. He makes a bold case for this common thread in various "consciousness-only" concepts of mind--from Plato and the ancient Skeptics to Daoism, Zen, and even the idealism of the 1960s--leading directly to postmodern hypotheses of digital consciousness. Today, philosophers are exploring such topics as virtual reality and digital simulation as new ways of discussing the contours of reality suggested in the Daodejing. Rather than leading us to a more humanistic vision of reality, as the Daoist scholars traditionally maintain, this theory of mind might be the root of a systematic anti-humanist impulse that has operated throughout world history. The Luciferic Verses offers fresh perspectives on Laoze's classic guide to life and inner development, describing its relevance and meaning for today's cultural milieu and modern esoteric thought.

This book traces ideological trends in China through a range of historical and comparative perspectives, spanning the ancient belief systems of Confucianism, Legalism, and Taoism to political ideologies of the present day. Chapters in this edited volume are divided into four parts: traditional Chinese ideology, ideology of the Republic, Maoism as an ideology and post Mao ideology, zoning in on specific historical periods from the Qing and Republic periods to the reform era, as well as the period after the founding of the PRC – through which Mao Zedong’s political thought is notably discussed from the perspective of epistemology and the global impact of Maoism. Key topics include Sun Yat-sen as the Father of the Republic, Li Dazhao, the early Marxist theoretician, Chiang Kai-shek and his nationalist Fascism, Liang Qichao’s emotional appeals through liberal political discourse, Jiang Zemin’s theory of ‘Three Represents’ de-emphasising the Marxist concept of class, Hu Jintao’s theory of ‘Harmonious Society’ and Xi Jinping’s political thought. Contributions from world-leading scholars take both comparative and critical approaches, examining not only how studies of ideology are relevant, but how Chinese ideologies have retained their own characteristics distinct to the West. As the first comprehensive study of this subject in the English language, Chinese Ideology will appeal to students and scholars of philosophy, political science, history, and Asian studies more broadly.