The religious ideologies of a society can have a profound effect on their cultural views and norms. Furthermore, the habits that this leads to can have an influence on the philosophical values that are inherent within that society. Within eastern cultures, it is evident that there is a profoundly different view of the relationship between humanity and the natural world than in the west. In China, this is likely due to the profound influence of texts such as the Tao Te Ching. In looking at the cultural relationship between Taoism and Chinese society it is evident that the ideas present in the work by Lao Tzu has had a profound influence on the underlying philosophical, religious, and political ideologies that can be found throughout Asia.
The philosophical implications of Taoism on the cultural heritage of Chinese culture is implicit in the conception of the notions of universality and the circular notions of time that are present within their society. This presents important implications for the development of ideas associated with purpose and self. For this reason, the establishment of Taoism has had a strong influence on the cultural lives of Chinese citizens and others across Asia. “As one of the three major systems of thought in China, Daoism , along with Confucianism and Buddhism, continues to permeate Chinese life and affect cultures of the Far East.” The underlying connections that the culture of China has with Taoism presents the need to establish an understanding of the elements that make Taoism important to their society. In understanding the principles of Taoism, a better understanding of the values of Chinese culture as a whole can be achieved. This can help to provide insight into the principles and values that are considered to be essential in Chinese culture. “Daoism continues to be a key to understanding many aspects of contemporary Chinese culture.” This includes the context of daily life, literature and art, business, and military applications. The ubiquity of the lessons that can be gleamed from the Tao Te Ching is therefore evident in the basic relationship between the elements of the natural world and the philosophical relationships that humanity is seen to have with the universe.
Within the Tao, the author utilizes the metaphor of water in order to help to establish the underlying principles of the eternal Tao. This concept therefore “becomes the cardinal concept to persuade readers to accept his arguments about the best way to change chaotic social conditions.” These ideas can be seen to be present throughout the social relationships of Chinese culture. The interpersonal implications of the Tao Te Ching in Chinese society are therefore evident in light of the capacity that the text has in promoting a specific viewpoint that they have established their notions of the world upon. The purpose of this is that it provides a relevant context for those in society that are turning to the Tao in order to derive a sense of purpose. This essentially “ helps people perceive the entangled circumstances of society, where language works inevitably to imprison communicators.” The language that is present in the Tao is therefore indicative of the presence of the Tao itself, which has established its universal qualities in the social realities of cultural life.
The language of the Tao itself is therefore evident of the need for the presence of the Tao in the everyday lives of citizens. Through the promotion of this idea the text presents an essential characteristic of the philosophic qualities that the religion possesses. This is demonstrated in the historic context of the Tao itself. In this sense, it is evident that “Lao Tzu has offered a special way of looking at the problem that has set an important tone in Chinese cultural history.” Language and the presence of the capacity to communicate are an essential element in the transmission of the Tao and its underlying message. This has profound consequences for the cultural relationship that the text has with the social identities of Chinese people and the historic contexts that they were a part of. “In writing the Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu was apparently forced to use the language of his time in order to communicate his thought to others.” This capacity to communicate can be seen to be an essential element in the lives of the Chinese people, who have established an ideology based on this need for communication within society. In regards to Lao Tzu, it seems that he “must have believed that language has some instrumental value for communication.” If not, it is unlikely that he would have attempted to express the values inherent in the Tao itself through the textual communication that he utilized.
It seems that the principles of the Tao can be promoted through their capacity to provide both flexibility and structure to the social systems that they are a part of. “Tao in its essence is unchanging, absolute, and eternal, but in its function it is ever moving according to constant principles.” This idea, furthermore, has profound implications for the notions of identity present within culture. In a sense, the ideologies present in the Tao are indicative of the view that their Eastern culture has of the universe. “Since Tao is eternal and ever creative, it cannot be reasonably said that there was a definite beginning of the universe as such.” This was, furthermore, predicated on notions that are associated with the idea that their culture had of the relationship between humanity and the natural world. “The sunlight, the air, the rain, the dew, and the soil, these are the immediate sources of life.” This relationship is based on the fundamental realities present in the natural order and the unyielding circumstances of life.
The implications of the Tao and its philosophic principles can also be seen to have an impact or relationship with the view that people in society had of the nature of humanity as well. In this sense, the text indicates that people have the capacity to make the decision of their relationship with the Eternal Tao in their own way. This is essential due to the collective need to regard individuals in relation to the social context in which they exits. In understanding diversity, a person can understand wholeness. “People have their own desires and also they have their own will so that they are capable of changing their own nature.” This nature is therefore predicated on the ideologies present in their specific social or cultural context. This is an essential element in relation to the personal relationship that can be seen to be expressed within the Tao Te Ching.
Furthermore, it is evident that, not only the language, but the priorities and conventiosn of the Tao are considered to be an essentail aspect of cultrual life in Chinese society. “Language is critically assessed, so is conventional wisdom.” This presents the need to understand the implications of the ideas presented within the text. One essential aspect ot consider is Wu Wei. Wu Wei is a critical element of Taoism. The complex notion associated with the complex is “one of the most important concepts of the Tao Te Ching.” This is the concept of acting according to nature. In this sense, a person can act without struggling against the natural order or correctness of their actions. This idea is understood differently among different scholars, however. “Chinese translator’s translations of Tao Te Ching and English translator ’s versions have both similarity and difference concerning the forms.” This can help to provide insight into the difficulty in developing an understanding of Chinese culture, especially in relation to the ideas present in the Tao Te Ching, from a Western perspective.
One major principle that can be seen to be different among these cultures is the idea of the natural order. This idea is fundamentally different among these cultures. “Whereas in the Western mentality, human beings are seen as different entities from nature and from here the latest exists to be mastered, in the Eastern mentality human beings and nature conform a unity.” This demonstrates a profound disconnect between the ways that these cultures look at the world. In looking at the influence of the Tao on Chinese culture, and in relation to it, it seems that there is a fundamental relationship between the idea of the Eternal Tao and the personal wisdom of the individual. This seems to present a fundamental difference between the cultures. “ Eastern cultures stress more the implicit over the explicit.” However, this is not unique to Chinese culture. American Indians, Egyptians, and other religions and cultures also have important characteristics that are similar in form and function to those expressed within the Tao Te Ching. In this sense, it seems that “many of its features such as relativism, circularity, and paradoxical ways of thinking are present in other cultures.” This demonstrates the importance that the Tao has to Chinese culture and the establishment of an inquiry into the unspoken realities that are present behind the capacity of humanity to communicate or express.
The challenge is therefore to demonstrate the consideration that can be given to the priorities of everyday life. In doing so, a more expressive dialogue between the individual and the social context that they are a part of can be established. The lessons that can be gleamed from the Tao demonstrate “ways of dealing with matters of life in general, but in particular in the case of conflict [as well as] self-reflection and communication.” The text can be seen to be a fundamental aspect of social life for Chinese people, among other essential philosophical ideas that can be seen to challenge the conception of religion and philosophy that is present in western modes of thought. The ideas present in the Tao present the need to be more in tune with the natural order. “Taoism states that all activity should be confined to what is necessary and natural.” This demonstrates a fundamentally different approach than western forms of cultural dialogue. In this sense, it is evident that “Taoism keeps enormous distance from the Western perspective based on Aristotelian rhetoric.” Rather than being based in the specification and particularization of the natural world, as in western forms of thought, the Tao Te Ching is based on an expressive dialogue that attempts to form a relationship between humanity and the natural world. The ideas present in the Tao can be seen to have had a profound influence on the subjective ideologies present in Chinese culture. This demonstrates the notion that “the meaning of culture as a force which is primary a determinant in the way individuals organize their worldview, becomes, up to a certain extent, relative.” These worldviews have a profound influence on the social and cultural norms that arise within the context of these ideas.
One essential aspect to understand regarding the Tao and the influence that it has had on the modes of thought of those that have been exposed to it is the idea of the subjective nature of reality. In this sense, the people and the world that they are a part of are connected with one another on a fundamental level. “Objects are understood as unstable and inseparable from subjects.” This demonstrates an essential connection between the cultural ideas of China and the Tao itself. Furthermore, as reflected in the Tao, Chinese culture generally “emphasizes considering things from a long-term and systematic perspective and deemphasizes immediate gain and loss.” These challenges present important conditions on which the priorities of the natural character are established.
These ideas are present in the daily lives of those of every culture, although they might not realize it. “The view that things change from one extreme to the other extreme has long been popular in the East.” This relationship with change is evident in the Tao Te Ching, and the presence of these ideas within the text likely had a profound influence on the development of identity in contemporary Chinese culture. This deterministic and dual-natured relationship is evidence of the capcity of the text to ingrain itself deeply into Chinese life. Studies demonstrate that the “idea of change allows Chinese to have a fluid and open-minded view of people and events.” This is likely an influence of the Tao itself. Research indicates that “continuous shaping of personality traits by situational influences.” In considering these factors it is evident that the influence of the Tao Te Ching on Chinese life can be seen to be essential in developing the character of the individuals in society. This development is predicated on the view of humanity and its relationship with the natural world that is developed with the text.
The cultural values present within the Tao Te Ching both reflect and inform the social norms of China's philosophic, religious, and political values. These values are an essential aspect in the unique context of personal life that can be seen within the nation. The relationship between the ideas present within the text and the cultural realities of China itself can be seen to establish an essential dialogue between the two. This demonstrates that, through the implicit values that are expressed by the Tao itself, there are important considerations that must be made in association with the ideologies that are present in the cultural lives of the Chinese people and the historic context in which they exist.
Bibliography
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