Taoism

Taoism is the traditional foil of Confucianism. Taoism's central books are 
the Tao Te Ching, traditionally attributed to Lao Zi (Lao tse) and the Zhuang 
Zi (Chuang Tse). The core concepts of Taoism are traced far in Chinese 
History, incorporating elements of mysticism dating back to prehistoric 
times, linked also with the Book of Changes (I Ching), a divinatory set 
of 64 geometrical figures describing states and evolutions of the world. 
Taoism emphasizes Nature, individual freedom, refusal of social bounds, and 
was a doctrine professed by those who "retreated in mountains". At the 
end of their lives --or during the night, Confucian officers often behaved 
as Taoists, writing poetry or trying to "reach immortality". Yet Taoism is 
also a government doctrine where the ruler's might is ruling through 
"non-action" (Wuwei).

Most accounts describe Taoism or Daoism as an Asian philosophy and religion, 
although some regard it as neither of these but rather as an aspect of Chinese 
wisdom. Taoism has Tao as its basis. One may speak of the Tao ("the way of 
the universe"), or of a Tao ("a way" -- see next section). Taoism sees 
importance in both these senses.

The Tao of Taoism

In Chinese thought, a Tao (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tao) equates to a 
way -- a space-time sequence. An individual walks a way; a village walks a 
way, and the country walks a way . Ways can be summed so we can speak of 
the ultimate way as the way the world goes--the sum total of space-time 
history of particles and waves from the big bang to . . . In Taoism this 
is known as the "Great Tao." It is obvious, as Shen Dao argued, that 
everyone and everything "follows" the Great Tao. We can also speak of 
Natural (sometimes "Heavenly") tao. That would roughly resemble any course 
of history that conforms to the laws of nature -- with the same consequence. 
No one needs to try to follow it -- you cannot fail. Both 'nature's way' 
and 'great way' can inspire the stereotypical Taoist detachment from moral 
or normative doctrines. Since it is thought of as the course by which 
everything comes to be what it is (the "Mother of everything"), it seems 
hard to imagine that we have to select from among accounts of its normative 
content. It thus can be seen as an efficient principle of "emptiness" that 
reliably underlies the operation of the universe.

Other ways we can call possible ways or ways that actually do guide (tao 
used as a verb) us. These, however, according to the Tao Te Ching are not 
constant. That is, we can choose different guiding taos and we may interpret 
them differently so we disagree about what they tell us to do. We can 
attempt to follow them and fail. These are prescriptive ways such as the moral 
way of Confucius or those of Lao Zi or of Jesus. Nevertheless, the Tao Te 
Ching makes the point that everything's nature is beholden to the Tao, 
suggesting that even these paths will serve this ultimate principle.

Taoism as a tradition has, along with its traditional counterpart 
Confucianism, shaped Chinese culture for more than 2,000 years. Taoism places 
emphasis upon spontaneity and teaches that natural kinds follow ways 
appropriate to themselves. As humans are a natural kind, Taoism emphasises 
natural societies with no artificial institutions. Often skeptical and ironic 
on human values such as morality, benevolence and proper behavior, many Taoist 
writers do not share the Confucian belief in civilization as a way to build a 
better society. Rather, they share the will to live alone in the mountains or 
as simple peasants in small autarchic villages.

For many educated Chinese people, (the Literati), life divided into a social 
part, where Confucian doctrine prevailed, and into a private part, with 
Taoist aspirations. Home, night-time, exile or retirement provided good 
occasions to cultivate Taoism and, say, re-read Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. The 
Literati often dedicated this period of life to arts like calligraphy, painting, 
poetry or personal researches on antiquities, medicine, folklore and so on.