J. Dobbins (East Asian Studies and Religion)
4 HU, CD, WRi, 4 Hours
Fall Semester FYSP 158-01 TR 9:30-10:45
Daoism is one of China’s great religious and philosophical traditions. It coalesced from a variety of ancient texts and practices and came to stand alongside Confucianism and Buddhism as a defining component of Chinese thought and culture. This seminar explores themes and motifs based on Daoism’s philosophical classics and religious traditions. The philosophical texts include the Daodejing (Laozi), the Zhuangzi, and the Liezi. In addition, Daoism’s extensive mythology, complex pantheon, ideal of personal transformation, array of physical and religious practices, and distinctive life-style will be explored in their cultural and historical context. From these, the broad-ranging and fluid character of Daoism will become apparent, delicately held together by China’s all-embracing ideal of Dao, literally, the “way.”