Living in the epoch of Anthropocene, in which human activities have extensive impact on Earth's g... more Living in the epoch of Anthropocene, in which human activities have extensive impact on Earth's geology and ecosystem, many scholars begin to search, philosophically, for a healthier relationship between human and nature. Some of them have turned to Daoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy, for answers to our modern-day puzzles. These scholars’ understanding of Daoist texts, however, usually assumes an environmentalist dichotomy of human and nature, which results in inherent contradictions in Daoist view on environment. Why is an environmentalist reading of Daoism problematic? What is the proper way to read Daoist texts, in order to find a meaningful model for contemporary human-nature relationship? This essay, using Morton’s Ecological Thought as a critical frame, focuses on two predominant Daoist texts, Laozi and Zhuangzi, and argues that an ecological reading is needed to truly understand the Daoist view on human-nature relationship, because the Daoist view itself is ecological. By ecologizing the Daoist texts, not only can we understand better what Daoism has to offer for environmental ethics, but also deepen our understanding of Morton’s ecological thought.
In ancient China, the Mandate of Heaven serves as the source of ruling legitimacy similar to “the... more In ancient China, the Mandate of Heaven serves as the source of ruling legitimacy similar to “the Divine Right of Kings” in Europe. Unlike the Divine Right, however, the bestowing of the Mandate of Heaven is conditional, basing on whether the emperor — “the Son of Heaven” — is virtuous and equitable. If the current ruler fails to rule well, the Mandate of Heaven will transfer to those who would rule best, justifying revolts when the ruler is incompetent or despotic. As a result, the doctrine leads to an inherent paradox in the emperor’s existence. On one hand, upon his birth, an emperor (or the then heir apparent) is believed to have an “essence” — to be the Son of Heaven. On the other hand, an emperor, as the supreme ruler, is the freest to decide what he wills himself to be. How can we better understand an emperor’s existence under the Mandate of Heaven? This paper examines the doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven with Jean-Paul Sartre's “Existentialism Is a Humanism” as a critical frame. It argues that the philosophical idea of the Mandate of Heaven, veiled under the ancient Chinese mythology, is in fact existentialist because (1) an emperor’s “essence” is still preceded by his existence and an emperor is allowed to make a conscious choice of what he will be, and (2) the Mandate of Heaven holds an existentialist view towards an emperor’s responsibility. By uncovering the existentialist attributes in the Mandate of Heaven, we can better understand why it functions better than the Divine Right of Kings as a source of legitimate rule and why it manages to persist throughout the entire history of imperial China.
Living in the epoch of Anthropocene, in which human activities have extensive impact on Earth's g... more Living in the epoch of Anthropocene, in which human activities have extensive impact on Earth's geology and ecosystem, many scholars begin to search, philosophically, for a healthier relationship between human and nature. Some of them have turned to Daoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy, for answers to our modern-day puzzles. These scholars’ understanding of Daoist texts, however, usually assumes an environmentalist dichotomy of human and nature, which results in inherent contradictions in Daoist view on environment. Why is an environmentalist reading of Daoism problematic? What is the proper way to read Daoist texts, in order to find a meaningful model for contemporary human-nature relationship? This essay, using Morton’s Ecological Thought as a critical frame, focuses on two predominant Daoist texts, Laozi and Zhuangzi, and argues that an ecological reading is needed to truly understand the Daoist view on human-nature relationship, because the Daoist view itself is ecological. By ecologizing the Daoist texts, not only can we understand better what Daoism has to offer for environmental ethics, but also deepen our understanding of Morton’s ecological thought.
In ancient China, the Mandate of Heaven serves as the source of ruling legitimacy similar to “the... more In ancient China, the Mandate of Heaven serves as the source of ruling legitimacy similar to “the Divine Right of Kings” in Europe. Unlike the Divine Right, however, the bestowing of the Mandate of Heaven is conditional, basing on whether the emperor — “the Son of Heaven” — is virtuous and equitable. If the current ruler fails to rule well, the Mandate of Heaven will transfer to those who would rule best, justifying revolts when the ruler is incompetent or despotic. As a result, the doctrine leads to an inherent paradox in the emperor’s existence. On one hand, upon his birth, an emperor (or the then heir apparent) is believed to have an “essence” — to be the Son of Heaven. On the other hand, an emperor, as the supreme ruler, is the freest to decide what he wills himself to be. How can we better understand an emperor’s existence under the Mandate of Heaven? This paper examines the doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven with Jean-Paul Sartre's “Existentialism Is a Humanism” as a critical frame. It argues that the philosophical idea of the Mandate of Heaven, veiled under the ancient Chinese mythology, is in fact existentialist because (1) an emperor’s “essence” is still preceded by his existence and an emperor is allowed to make a conscious choice of what he will be, and (2) the Mandate of Heaven holds an existentialist view towards an emperor’s responsibility. By uncovering the existentialist attributes in the Mandate of Heaven, we can better understand why it functions better than the Divine Right of Kings as a source of legitimate rule and why it manages to persist throughout the entire history of imperial China.
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