Tying Together Yin, Yang, Dao, and the Chinese Dream of Golden Age

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1/ Explain the concepts of “Yin” and “Yang”. Using pp. 227 ff in the textbook, try to tie them together with an early understanding of the “Dao” (“Tao”) and the Chinese dream of a ‘Golden Age’.
The concepts of Yin, Yang, and Dao are beliefs the early Chinese had to better understand the order of nature and its elements. Yang is male energy, and is understood to stand for dry and warm elements in nature, as well as for active and expansive elements. Yin is the female energy, and is therefore the opposite of yang; it is wet and cold, slower and regressive in nature. Furthermore, yang objects (males) are seen as positive, heavenly and more important elements then yin objects (females). Objects in nature may at times have both yang and yin characteristics, or can even change from yin to yang and visa versa, depending on the circumstances they are placed in. Dao goes beyond the concepts of yin and yang in that it seeks to understand nature as a whole in harmony and cooperation with all. The belief in the way of Dao is also the belief in a Golden Age. To illustrate, if people everywhere followed the way of Dao then true peace and harmony would reign throughout the earth. (Noss and Grangaard 226-227)
2/ Elaborate on the ‘understanding’ of the “Dao” as told by Lao-Zi, Zhuang-Zi and in Dao De Jing.
Lao-Zi, according to legend, repulsed by the government and Confucian teaching of that time, vanished into the unknown in the hopes of escaping this corrupt society, and to construct the Dao De Jing. However, others have argued that though Lao-Zi may have fathered Daoist philosophy he is not the author of Dao De Jing. Though the way or understanding of Dao is impossible to describe, according to the Dao De Jing, yet because of Dao everything exi...

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...at has been the view of Confucius and his philosophy after the Chinese revolution of 1911?
After the Chinese revolution of 1911, Confucian scholars failed to maintain Confucianism as a state religion in China’s new constitution. However, the new leader, Sun Zhongshan, when speaking of his plans for the Republic, quoted Confucian phrases and values. Overall, the Nationalist Party and the New Life movement incorporated Confucius virtues and colorings throughout their belief systems. With the rise of Communism Confucian once again went under revision, this time with Confucius teachings of ren being attack as primitive and unprogressive. The Confucius philosophy of today is uncertain and there has been talk of developing a more “modern Confucianism”. Nonetheless, in certain areas Confucian is still popular and its virtues are still promoted. (Noss and Grangaard 285-287)

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