Taoism: An Analysis of the Tao
There is no single definition of Taoism in the Tao de Ching. The reader
realizes that she will not find one in the text after seeing the first sentence.
By saying that whatever can be described of the Tao is not the true Tao, its
author, Lao-tzu, establishes his first premise: the Tao is a force beyond human
explanation. However this assumption does not mean that he can't attempt to
describe it. Using the literary tools of contradiction, parallel structure, and
metaphor, Lao-tzu discusses the Tao in language regular people can understand.
Contradiction
In the beginning the Tao gave birth to both good and evil (Ch 5) and along with
that came all of the other pairs. In Chapter 36 Lao-tzu discusses action and
reaction,
"If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something,
you must first allow it to flourish.
If you want to take something,
you must first allow it to be given."
This excerpt ties into the statement in Chapter 30 that "for every
force there is a counter force" which is applicable to political situations.
For example, if a ruler noticed an uprising of disgruntled subjects, it would be
wise of her to let them organize, or expand, and state their grievances as a
whole before she individually addressed their complaints.
Lao-tzu also uses contradiction in Ch 22,
"If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become strait,
let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die..."
In other words, if a person wants to succeed she must first understand the
opposition. This strategy is used often in war. In order to predict what the
enemy will do next, one can think like the enemy, be the enemy. Another way to
understand this contradiction is by applying it to modern day life. In many
cases those who are most against drinking are former alcoholics. They have, in
a sense, gone straight from being crooked, been reborn from having died.
In Ch 45 Lao-tzu uses contradiction to discuss human nature,
"True perfection seems imperfect,
yet it is perfectly itself.
True fullness seems empty,
yet it is fully present."
People are always in...
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... Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water."
With these similes he explains that as a Taoist the reader should be cautious
and kind, flexible and open, observant and straightforward.
He does not accept honor or glory as values. Unlike many other
philosophies/religions where the ideal person should be an example to others,
Taoism focuses on the individual herself. Also unlike many other philosophies
which view the commoner as a dullard, Taoism looks upon a moderate person
favorably,
"The mark of a moderate man
is freedom from his own ideas.
Tolerant like the sky,
all-pervading like sunlight,
firm like a mountain,
supple like a tree in the wind..." (Ch. 59)
In Ch 39, "He doesn't glitter like a jewel but lets himself be shaped by the Tao,
as rugged and common as a stone."
This concept of the ideal moderate is mentioned a number of times. In
Ch 9 Lao-tzu admonishes extremism, "Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife, and it will blunt." A Taoist is not someone who is
driven by hopes for the respect and admiration of her people, but rather wants
to be humble and normal.
Jonathan Swift is the speaker in the story, A Modest Proposal. He is also the author of many other books and stories. In the text of A Modest Proposal, Swift addresses what he believes to be a big issue in the magnificent country of Ireland, Dublin to be exact. Therefore, he proposes a solution to the problem, however, the solution is not what we would call humane, orthodox, reasonable, or even one that we would consider performing today. Swift wrote this piece for anyone that can read and comprehend what the text implies.
When Johnathan Swift wrote this he wanted to get people to realize that there was a big problem in Ireland and that the Irish needed to fix it. So he suggested an over the top proposal that outraged many people into finding a better way to fix it. Which solidifies the fact that Jonathan Swift in a modest proposal tried to get his audience to see the problem in Ireland by taking the problem, providing an inhumane way to fix it and then using rhetorical devices to bring out people’s emotions.
The first main principle of Taoism that is presented in this novel is the idea that things in their original simplicity contain their own natural power, power that is easily contaminated and lost when that simplicity is altered. This principle is also known as the Uncarved Block. Winnie-the-Pooh is very significant in this principle of the Uncarved Block, because he illustrates the perfect example of an individual that follows this principle. Pooh always exists in his "natural state", he is...
"Main Concepts of Taoism: Yin and Yang." Taoism and the Taoist Arts. April 2002. http://www.taoistarts.net/main.html#yin LeGuin, Ursula K. The Lathe of Heaven. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers Inc., 2000.
A Modest Proposal is undoubtedly one of the most recognized works of satire. This essay was designed to shock its readers in Ireland. Swift’s goal was to show the people of Ireland just how ridiculous their situation during the famine was. He also showed a great deal of disgust in relation to control. Swift was displeased with England’s control over his country, and how the dominance was being used. However, he showed a greater level of disgust with his own people. This is exemplified when another author writes about A Modest Proposal that
The story The Metamorphosis revolves around Gregor Samsa, a devoted son and brother who works tirelessly to provide for his family, waking up finding out that he has been transformed into a larger than life insect. Franz Kafka enlightens the readers to how being dependent on one person can lead a family to being weak when that support system is ripped away from them. The situations that Gregor is put into knocks him down from the head of the family into nothingness while at the same time boosts his family from that nothingness into being a strong support system for each other. Gregor 's transformation, his dependency on his sister for food, his injury, the family choosing strangers over him, and ultimately his death are all things that lead to this downfall, or metamorphosis.
...ccording to it. It is the level of understanding and respect a Taoist has with nature, everyone around them, and everything. This mystery is the last feature that is important to defining a religion.
In 1729, Jonathan Swift published a pamphlet called “A Modest Proposal”. It is a satirical piece that described a radical and humorous proposal to a very serious problem. The problem Swift was attacking was the poverty and state of destitution that Ireland was in at the time. Swift wanted to bring attention to the seriousness of the problem and does so by satirically proposing to eat the babies of poor families in order to rid Ireland of poverty. Clearly, this proposal is not to be taken seriously, but merely to prompt others to work to better the state of the nation. Swift hoped to reach not only the people of Ireland who he was calling to action, but the British, who were oppressing the poor. He writes with contempt for those who are oppressing the Irish and also dissatisfaction with the people in Ireland themselves to be oppressed.
The lines that define good and evil are not written in black and white; these lines tend to blur allowing good and evil to intermingle with each another in a single human being.
There are three things she suggests about being shame resilient first she says, “we all have it” second “we’re all afraid to talk about shame” and third “the less we talk about shame, the more control it has over our lives” (Brown 38). It helps that everyone has feelings of shame and that it is not just one person alone that feels these things. Brown clarifies the difference between shame and guilt shame is the feeling that “I am bad” while guilt is the feeling that “I have done something horrible” (41). I contemplate possibly that shame is like embarrassment it is similar to the thoughts one might have after an event or conversation with someone where they feel as if something wrong was said or
Kaltenmark, Max. Lao Tzu and Taoism. Translated by Roger Greaves. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 1969.
When used correctly, satire has the ability to capture an audience and persuade their beliefs and ideas. In “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift does just this. Through his use of rhetorical appeals, Swift is able to present an idea, shock his audience, and convey both his argument and purpose of the piece. While Swift is not serious about eating Ireland’s children, he is serious about addressing Ireland’s problems. The poverty, famine, and way of life in Ireland are all clearly addressed. Swift does achieve his purpose of motivating his audience to create change and establish his argument that change needs to occur, in his piece, “A Modest Proposal.
Confucianism believes that their congregation should have human conduct over the idea of God in their lives, whereas Taoism is formed on the belief that its congregation should create a relationship with nature. This is pointed out by Smith in Experiencing the World 's Religions, “Confucius represents the classical, Lao Tzu the romantic; Confucius stresses social responsibility, Lao Tzu praises spontaneity and naturalness; Confucius focus is on the human, Lao Tzu’s on what transcends the human” (Smith 218). Another difference is Confucianism is based off of respect of others and their superiors, and Confucians are to follow a code of conduct with social harmony as a goal. On the other hand, Taoism is based on the contemplation of life and followers are to seek balance in their lives through following the path or
During the eighteenth century, Jonathan Swift was distributing pamphlets around Ireland in hopes of promoting intellectual growth in his homeland. As he noticed this was not making an impact, he decided to address the problems in Ireland with a different approach. Jonathan Swift took to paper and constructed “A Modest Proposal”, a satirical piece that proposes a humorous solution to the social, economic, and political problems in Ireland. Swift’s proposal suggests that babies who are born to poor families become a source of food for public, which benefits Ireland by reducing the overpopulation and adding to the food supply. In “A Modest Proposal”, Jonathan Swift uses satire to draw attention to his argument that the problems in Ireland are greatly affecting his homeland; in doing so, he portrays the themes of class division, suffering, and greed.
When faced with adversity society often turns to satire to relieve the frustrations the people feel. One of the most widely known examples of satire is Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” Swift uses this work to vent his frustration with not only the governing bodies of 1729 Ireland, but also its residents. Swift discusses the possibility of ending Ireland’s famine and economic troubles by using the children of poor families as a source of nourishment for the workers. This suggestion although meant in a comedic way served a more serious role in displaying Swift’s and many others displeasure with the state of their nation. Swift uses many techniques to entice his readers and make his argument compelling. The serious tone and personal style of the essay lock in the reader 's attention, while the use of facts and figures serve to establish a false sense of seriousness within the argument itself.