A new interpretation of Chinese Taoism

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Synopsis: This book explores Daoism, encompassing Lao-Zhuang philosophy, Daoist doctrines, and Daoist health practices, while eliminating superstitious elements. It offers a fresh interpretation of Chinese Daoism from anthropological, psychological, and sociobiological perspectives. It uses the ideal of equality and leisure in ancient, face-to-face society as a framework for Daoism, elucidating humanity, freedom, happiness, death, and immortality on six levels: biological, social, cultural, intellectual, spiritual, and cosmic, aiming to connect with the daily lives of ordinary modern people. The book’s division between two-tiered societies, basic human nature, and surrounding potential, coupled with a unique, leisurely perspective, offers a fresh perspective on age-old topics like cultural differences between East and West. While primarily aimed at general readers, this book will also provide unexpected benefits to academics. Lao-Zhuang is known for his light and humorous writing style, fusing art and philosophy to disseminate Daoism through artistic appreciation. Considering the time constraints of working professionals, the author strives to create a winding yet enjoyable reading experience through interspersed comparisons, avoiding any playful or flippant use of language, except for occasional short poems. The following is the chapter order of this book, with two full sections attached as examples.

A Brief Explanation
Glossary
Chapter 1: The Pre-Knowledge Period in Human History
(I) Differences Between Eastern and Western Cultures and Taoism
(II) The Concept of Tao and Modern Science
(III) The Pre-Knowledge Period in Chinese History
(IV) Why Taoism Emerged in China Instead of the West
(V) A Comparison of Axial Age China and Modern Europe: Taoism and Western Existentialist Philosophy
Chapter 2: The Essence of Taoism
(I) The Essence of Taoism: Small Countries with Few People
(II) The Essence of Taoism: Other Classical Discourses
(III) The Essence of Taoism: The Concept of the True Person
(IV) Confucius’s Prehistoric World of Great Harmony
(V) Primary Communities and Primitive Society
(VI) Heroes and the Division of Two-Tier Society
Chapter 3: Primitive Society and Secondary Society
(I) The Biological Basis of Primitive Society
(II) There is No Ideal Secondary Society Suitable for Human Nature
(III) Prehistoric Paradise May Be a Universal Human Experience
(IV) The Miracle of the Indus Valley Civilization
Chapter 4: The Story of Laozi and Zhuangzi
(I) The Life Record of the Founders of Taoism
(II) Confucius’s Two Meetings with Laozi
(III) The Death of Zhuangzi
Chapter 5: Yu the Great as a Branch Point in the Evolution of Chinese Civilization
(I) Rivers and the Path of Human Cultural Evolution
(II) The Yellow River and Yu the Great
(III) Contradictory Details in Records and the Chinese Taoist Tradition
(IV) Comparison with the Indus Valley Civilization
(V) Yu the Great’s Thirteen Years of Tribulation as a Political Expedition to Lay the Foundation for the Empire
(VI) Taoist Tradition and a Comparison between East and West
Chapter 6: Leisure Time and the Social Pyramid
(I) Leisure Time and the Free King
(II) How to Spend Leisure Time Without Limits or Rules
(III) The Social Pyramid
(IV) Human Nature is Mild and Self-Conscious but Possesses Vast Potential
(V) The Leisurely Mindset in Leisure Time is the Cornerstone of Human Civilization Development
(VI) Contemporary Society Has Vast Space for Evolution
(VII) Six Levels
Chapter 7: The Multi-Level Operation of the World
(I) The Independence of the Individual
(II) The Multi-Level Operation of the Contemporary World
(III) Darwin’s Theory and the Multi-Level Nature of the Biological World
(IV) Organic Society
(V) A New Interpretation of Laozi and Zhuangzi
Chapter 8: Human Nature
(I) The Taoist View of Human Nature
(II) The Plasticity and Openness of Human Nature
(III) The Spectrum of Human Desires
(IV) Children and Apes
(V) A Leisurely Mindset as the Cornerstone of Civilization is Human Nature
(VI) Equality is Rooted in Human Nature
Chapter Nine: Death and Immortality
(I) Introduction
(II) Death and Immortality at the Biological Level
(III) Death and Immortality at the Social Level
(IV) Death and Immortality at the Cultural Level
(V) Death and Immortality at the Intellectual Level
(VI) Death and Immortality at the Spiritual Level
(VII) Death and Immortality at the Cosmic Level
Chapter Ten: The Taoist View of Freedom
(I) Freedom and the History of Eastern and Western Cultures
(II) The Taoist View of Freedom at the Cultural Level
(III) The Taoist View of Freedom at the Other Five Levels
(IV) A Parable
Chapter Eleven: Joy and Happiness
(I) Introduction: Culture and Happiness
(II) The Taoist View of Joy
(III) Lao Tzu’s Three Treasures
(IV) Balance Your Emotions and Enjoy Instant Joy
(V) Joy and Happiness at Six Levels
(VI) Six Levels of Interpersonal Relationships
Chapter Twelve: Health Preservation
(I) Taoist Health Preservation
(II) Harmony Between Heaven and Man
(III) Fantasy and Reality
(IV) Cultivating Happiness
(V) Taoist Self-Cultivation
(VI) The God of Taoism
(VII) The Influence of Taoism on Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chapter Thirteen: Aesthetics
(I) Beauty Overflows Every Corner of Life
(II) Taoist Aesthetic Theory
(III) Aesthetics as a Religious Alternative
(IV) Taoist Aesthetics and the Life of Intellectuals in Chinese History, and Chinese Calligraphy
Chapter Fourteen: South and North
(I) Introduction
(II) The Separation of Social Power and Humanistic Wisdom
(III) Reciprocity, Equality, and Inequality
(IV) Center and Periphery
(V) Lack of Defense and Terrorism
Chapter Fifteen: Social Application
(I) Ancient Greek Tragedy and the Flowing Thinking of Taoism
(II) Taoist Emperors in Chinese History
(III) Has Democracy Exhausted Its Choices?
(IV) The Concept of a Two-Tier Society and the Complementary Relationship between Confucianism and Taoism in Mainstream Chinese Culture
(V) The Concept of Ancient Superpowers and the Different Origins of Eastern and Western Civilizations
(VI) Confucius and Jesus: Different Evolutionary Paths of Eastern and Western Humanities
References
Index