"Old Master" - probably legendary. The Daodejing is only ~5,000 characters - brief, cryptic, poetic. Theme: yielding over assertion, silence over words.
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Zhuangzi
Historical figure, more playful and skeptical. Famous for parables like the Butterfly Dream: "Was I a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly dreaming I am a man?"
Note: We discuss philosophical Daoism - different from later religious Daoism.
The Dao 道 - The Way
"The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao."
— Daodejing, Ch. 1
Natural order of the universe
Beyond words, cannot be defined
Like water: soft but powerful
Humans should align with Dao
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道 Dao - The Way
Source and pattern of everything. Ineffable - language cannot capture it. "The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete."
Wu-wei 無為 - Non-Action
Literally "non-action" but really effortless action
Acting in harmony with natural flow
NOT doing nothing - doing without forcing
🏊 The Swimmer
Good swimmer works WITH the current, not against it.
🔪 The Butcher
Skilled butcher cuts along natural joints - knife never dulls.
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無為 Wu-wei
Not passivity - skilled action that flows naturally. Like an athlete "in the zone" - effortless performance because thinking would slow them down.
Critique of Confucian Striving
Confucians Say
Study classics
Cultivate virtue
Practice ritual
Daoists Say
Trying makes it worse
Creates hypocrisy
Natural spontaneity lost
"Do not honor the worthy, and people will not compete."
— Daodejing, Ch. 3
Daoist Political Advice
"Govern a great state as you would cook a small fish - don't overdo it."
— Daodejing, Ch. 60
Best ruler: people don't know he exists
Interference causes problems
Let nature take its course
Small, simple communities ideal
Primitivism: Ancient past was better. Knowledge corrupts natural goodness.
⏸ Pause & Process
Two-Column Chart
CONFUCIAN vs DAOIST
How should a ruler govern?
How should people be educated?
What makes a good society?
Fill in, then discuss with partner
Legalism: Philosophy of Winners
Context: Qin state in the west
Considered "barbarian" by eastern states
But getting STRONG
Adopting Legalist policies
By 3rd century: conquering neighbors
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法家 Legalism
"School of Law" - not modern "rule of law" but ruler's law as tool of state power. Key figures: Lord Shang (d. 338 BCE), Han Feizi (d. 233 BCE), Li Si (d. 208 BCE).
Legalism is the philosophy of the state that WINS. By 221 BCE, Qin conquers all.
Han Feizi 韓非子
d. 233 BCE
Student of Xunzi (human nature is bad)
Died in prison - possibly murdered by rival
Writings became Qin handbook
"When a sage rules, he governs according to the nature of men, not according to what they SHOULD be."
— Han Feizi
Legalist Principles
Laws, Not Exemplars
Clear, public, strict laws
No exceptions - even nobles
Rewards & Punishments
Automatic rewards
Severe punishments
So terrible no one dares violate
Distrust everyone: Ministers betray. Family seeks power. Only the SYSTEM can be trusted.
Goal: State Power
Centralized bureaucracy replaces hereditary lords
Officials appointed, serve at ruler's pleasure
All power flows from center
Individual happiness irrelevant
"The people are like fish; the ruler controls the water."
Sunzi's Art of War
5th century BCE
"All warfare is based on deception."
— Art of War
"Know the enemy and know yourself"
Appear weak when strong
Adapt - "military like water"
Best victory: win WITHOUT fighting
Daoist influence: Flexibility, adaptation, working WITH situation.