RS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Guan Zhong, Shang Dynasty, Zhang Daoling
Document Summary
Not easily divided into philosophical (earlier) and religious (later) schools. Daodejing (the way and its power) most likely a collection (not authored by one person). Laozi becomes a deity connected to the lee/li clan. When you accomplish something, you lose potentiality. When one forces rules on something, that"s when things get messed up. The world is good and should be enjoyed. No submission to authority or ritual, simply connection to yin and yang and energy. We cannot know the nature of the universe (dao). Our conceptionalization of the universe ruins things (e. g. when we define things as beautiful we create the idea of ugly , just as good implies the concept of evil ). Forget the material and status and embrace the natural. Emphasize the beauty and goodness of the natural. Celebration of the ugly because people leave ugly things alone and they therefore flourish. Unconditioned does not change for anyone.
