Religion Essay
Brandy O’Neal
Professor Howard
Philosophy (PHIL) 1304
22 February 2015
Taoism
One of the most talked about discussions in the world is religion. Across the world, you will find numerous religions, some more prominent than others and some more extreme than others. Religion is fundamental in so many places and cultures in the world today. Religion helps people understand the meaning of life or discern the origin of life. Countless people across the world invest their entire lives into their beliefs and their religions. To say that religion is influential in the world today is an understatement. There are many major religions across the world, but in China, there are five major religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianity (Maspero). Taoism will be the main focus of this essay in an effort to understand the history and concept of this religion. “If anyone is apprehensive that I am going to give an answer to the questions posed by the title of this paper, let me reassure him at once. I shall not be so foolish as to try to propound a single, sovereign definition of what Taoism is. In fact, the more one studies Taoism, the clearer it becomes that this term does not denote a school, but a whole congeries of doctrines” (Maspero 1). Taoism cannot be easily defined. There are multiple facets that need to be considered when trying to define Taoism.
“Nevertheless, if one is to discuss Taoism, he must at lease have a reasonably clear conception of what it is. This is made extremely difficult by the nature of the Taoist texts. For every early Taoist book, including the Chuang Tzu and the Lao Tzu, is in fact an anthology of work by many writers. That the Chuang Tzu is a compilation has long been generally agreed, but to deny that the Lao Tzu is homogeneous is still widely decried as heresy. Nevertheless a growing body of scholarship supports, with careful and impressive documentation, the statement of Fung Yu-lan that both the Chuang
Professor Howard
Philosophy (PHIL) 1304
22 February 2015
Taoism
One of the most talked about discussions in the world is religion. Across the world, you will find numerous religions, some more prominent than others and some more extreme than others. Religion is fundamental in so many places and cultures in the world today. Religion helps people understand the meaning of life or discern the origin of life. Countless people across the world invest their entire lives into their beliefs and their religions. To say that religion is influential in the world today is an understatement. There are many major religions across the world, but in China, there are five major religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam, and Christianity (Maspero). Taoism will be the main focus of this essay in an effort to understand the history and concept of this religion. “If anyone is apprehensive that I am going to give an answer to the questions posed by the title of this paper, let me reassure him at once. I shall not be so foolish as to try to propound a single, sovereign definition of what Taoism is. In fact, the more one studies Taoism, the clearer it becomes that this term does not denote a school, but a whole congeries of doctrines” (Maspero 1). Taoism cannot be easily defined. There are multiple facets that need to be considered when trying to define Taoism.
“Nevertheless, if one is to discuss Taoism, he must at lease have a reasonably clear conception of what it is. This is made extremely difficult by the nature of the Taoist texts. For every early Taoist book, including the Chuang Tzu and the Lao Tzu, is in fact an anthology of work by many writers. That the Chuang Tzu is a compilation has long been generally agreed, but to deny that the Lao Tzu is homogeneous is still widely decried as heresy. Nevertheless a growing body of scholarship supports, with careful and impressive documentation, the statement of Fung Yu-lan that both the Chuang
Cited: Creel, Herrlee Glessner. What Is Taoism?: And Other Studies in Chinese Cultural History. N.p.: U of Chicago, 1982. Print. Kirkland, Russell, "Person and Culture in the Taoist Tradition." Journal of Chinese Religions 20 (1992), 77-90. Liu Xiaogan, "Taoism," in Arvind Sharma, ed., Our Religions (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1993), 229-289. Maspero, Henri. Taoism and Chinese Religion. Amherst: U of Massachusetts, 1981. Print. Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World 's Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, NY. Your Page Title. Web. 25 Feb. 2015. Philip Novak. The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions. San Fransisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994 Smith, Huston. The Illustrated World 's Religions: A Guide to Our Wisdom Traditions. [San Francisco]: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994 "Taoism"" Def. 1. Merriam-Webster Online. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.