Kenyon College homepageDepartment of Religion
Joseph Adler

Religion 472
TAOISM

 Prof. Joseph Adler

Spring 2000 
 Ascension 310

 Thurs. eve (7:30-10:00)
 E-mail ADLERJ

 Ascension 120
 PBX 5290

 Office hours: MW 2:30-4:00, TTh 2:00-3:00
 adlerj@kenyon.edu

 and by appointment

This seminar will examine the various expressions of Taoism in the Chinese religious tradition. Beginning with the Classical Taoist texts of the 3rd century BCE (often referred to as "philosophical Taoism"), we will discuss the mythical figure of Lao Tzu and the seminal and enigmatic text attributed to him (Tao Te Ching), the philosopher Chuang Tzu, and recent theories concerning the shadowy "Huang-Lao" Taoist tradition. We will then examine the origins, beliefs, and practices of the Taoist religion, with its hereditary and monastic priesthoods, complex body of rituals, religious communities, and elaborate and esoteric regimens of meditation and alchemy.

Some of the themes and questions we will pursue along the Way are: (1) the relations between the mystical and the political dimensions of Taoist thought and practice; (2) the problems surrounding the traditional division of Taoism into the "philosophical" and "religious" strands; (3) the relations between Taoism and Chinese "popular" religion; and (4) the temptation for Westerners to find what they want in Taoism and to dismiss much of its actual belief and practice as crude superstition, or as a "degeneration" from the mystical purity of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu. (We ourselves will undoubtedly be visited by this temptation starting about week 8.)


READING

Available in Bookstore:
D.C. Lau, trans., Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
Victor H. Mair, trans., Wandering on the Way: Early Taoist Tales and Parables of Chuang Tzu
D.C. Lau and Roger T. Ames, trans., Yüan Dao: Tracing Dao to its Source
Isabelle Robinet, Taoism: Growth of a Religion
Livia Kohn, ed., Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques

On Course Reserve:
Roger T. Ames, Wandering at Ease in the Zhuangzi
Stephen R. Bokenkamp, Early Daoist Scriptures
J. Baird Callicott and Roger T. Ames, eds., Nature in Asian Traditions of Thought: Essays in Environmental Philosophy
Mark Csikszentmihalyi and Philip J. Ivanhoe, eds., Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi
Richard W. Guisso and Stanley Johannesen, eds., Women in China
Victor H. Mair, Experimental Essays on Chuang-tzu
Donald Munro, ed., Individualism and Holism: Studies in Confucian and Taoist Values
Harold Roth, The Original Tao: Inward Training and the Foundations of Taoist Mysticism
Holmes Welch and Anna Seidel, eds., Facets of Taoism: Essays in Chinese Religion


COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

  1. Participation (25% of course grade). The success of a seminar depends on the active participation of all members. Attendance at all meetings is required, unless you have a legitimate excuse and inform me about it beforehand. You are expected to have read the assigned material, to participate in regular seminar discussion, and to give clear oral presentations of written essays.

  2. Three short papers (15% each).

  3. Final Paper (30%), due Saturday, May 13, 4:30 p.m. A 10-15 page paper, plus bibliography, on any topic in Taoism. You must discuss your topic with me by Thursday, April 27. The paper must use at least two sources outside of required readings for the course. If you wish, you may revise and substantially expand one of your earlier papers; in this case, please turn in both the original (with my comments) and the new paper.

Classic of the Yellow Court Female immortal


Lao Tzu

SEMINAR SCHEDULE AND READINGS


1 Jan 20 Introduction, overview, precursors
     
    • Robinet, Taoism: Preface, Introduction
    • Excerpts from the Ch'u-tz'u (Chuci: Songs of Chu) [handout]
    • Ssu-ma T'an, "The Six Schools" [handout]


2 Jan 27 Lao Tzu (Laozi) and the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing)
     
    • Lau, Lao Tzu (Introduction and text)
    • Robinet, ch. 1 (The Warring States)


3 Feb 3 Philosophical Reflections on Lao Tzu
     
    • Roger T. Ames, "Taoism and the Androgynous Ideal," in Guisso and Johannesen., Women in China, pp. 21-45 [CR]
    • David Loy, "Chapter One of the Tao Te Ching: A 'New' Interpretation," Religious Studies, vol. 21, pp. 369-379 [handout]
    • Roger T. Ames, "Putting the Te back into Taoism," in Callicott and Ames, Nature in Asian Traditions of Thought, pp. 113-123, 141-143 (rest of article optional) [CR]


4 Feb 10 Philosophical Reflections on Lao Tzu (continued);
Chuang Tzu (Zhuangzi)
     
    • Bryan Van Norden, "Method in the Madness of the Laozi," in Csikszentmihalyi and Ivanhoe, Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi, pp.187-210. [CR]
    • P.J. Ivanhoe, "The Concept of de ("Virtue") in the Laozi," in Csikszentmihalyi and Ivanhoe, Religious and Philosophical Aspects of the Laozi, pp. 239-257. [CR]
    • Mair, Wandering on the Way, Intro, chs. 1-11
     
    Essay 1 due Friday, Feb. 11


5 Feb 17 Chuang Tzu (continued);
Philosophical Reflections on Chuang Tzu
     
    • Mair, Wandering on the Way, Intro, chs. 17-22, 26-27
    • A.C. Graham, "Taoist Spontaneity and the Dichotomy of 'Is' and 'Ought'," in Mair, Experimental Essays on Chuang-tzu, pp. 2-23 [CR]
    • Daniel Coyle, "On the Zhenren," in Ames, Wandering at Ease in the Zhuangzi, pp. 197-210 [CR]


6 Feb 24 Philosophical Reflections on Chuang Tzu (continued)
     
    • Lee Yearley, "The Perfected Person in the Radical Chuang Tzu," in Mair, Experimental Essays on Chuang-tzu, pp. 125-139 [CR]
    • Judith Berling, "Self and Whole in Chuang Tzu," in Munro, Individualism and Holism, pp. 101-120 [CR]
    • P.J. Ivanhoe, "Zhuangzi on Skepticism, Skill, and the Ineffable Dao," Journal of the American Academy of Religion, vol. 61:4 (1993), pp. 639-654 [handout]
     
    Essay 2 due Friday, Feb. 25


7 Mar 2 Body and Mind
     
    • Robinet, ch. 2 (New Elements Under the Han)
    • Kohn, Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques, chs. 2 (Ishida, "Body and Mind: The Chinese Perspective") and 8 (Despeux, "Gymnastics: The Ancient Tradition")

<< SPRING BREAK >>

 

8 Mar 23 Huai-nan Tzu (Huainanzi) and Huang-Lao Taoism
     
    • Lau and Ames, Yüan Dao
    • Roth, The Original Tao, ch. 5 [CR]


9 Mar 30 The Celestial Masters (Tianshi) or Cheng-i (Zhengyi, Orthodox) Sect
     
    • Robinet, ch. 3 (The Celestial Masters)
    • Bokenkamp, Early Daoist Scriptures, pp. xiii-xv, 1-27 (General Introduction)
     
    Essay 3 due


10 Apr 6 The Early Alchemical Tradition

• Kohn, ch. 3 (Akahori, "Drug Taking and Immortality")
• Robinet, ch. 4 (Ge Hong)
• Michel Strickmann, "On The Alchemy of T'ao Hung-ching," in Welch and Seidel, Facets of Taoism, pp. 123-169, 190-192 [CR]
• Sivin, "Chinese Alchemy and the Manipulation of Time" [handout]
     

Baopu Daoyuan (also called Ge Ling), in Hangzhou,
where Ge Hong practiced.


11 Apr 13 The Shang-ch'ing (Shangqing, Highest Purity) School
     
    • Robinet, ch. 5 (Shangqing)
    • Kohn, chs. 5 (Kohn, "Guarding the One: Concentrative Meditation in Taoism") and 6 (Robinet, "Visualization and Ecstatic Flight in Shangqing Taoism")


12 Apr 20 The Ling-pao (Lingbao, Sacred Jewel) School
     
    • Robinet, ch. 6 (Lingbao)
    • Kohn, ch. 4 (Yamada, "Longevity Techniques and the Compilation of the Lingbao Wufuxu")
    • Saso and Chappell, Buddhist and Taoist Studies I, ch. 4 (Keupers, The Fa-ch'ang Ritual) and ch. 5 (Pang, The P'u-Tu Ritual) [CR]


13 Apr 27 Inner Alchemy and the Complete Truth (Ch'üan-chen/Quanzhen) Sect in the Song and Yuan Dynasties
     
    • Robinet, ch. 8 (Song and Yuan: Interior Alchemy)
    • Kohn, ch. 10 (Robinet, "Original Contributions of Neidan to Taoism and Chinese Thought")
    • Handouts


14 May 4 Ch'i-kung (Qigong)
     
    • Kohn, ch. 11 (Miura, "The Revival of Qi: Qigong in Contemporary China")
     

Final paper due Saturday, May 13, 4:30 p.m.