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concept5th century BCE-present

Daoism

Disciplines:
ethics
metaphysics
philosophy of nature

Summary

Chinese philosophical tradition based on the Daodejing and Zhuangzi, emphasizing harmony with the Dao (the Way — the natural, spontaneous ordering of all things), non-action (wu wei), and the relativity of conventional distinctions.

Core Contribution

The Dao cannot be named or conceptualized — naming creates distinctions that distort the undifferentiated flow of things. Wu wei (non-action, effortless action) aligns the sage with the Dao rather than imposing will. Zhuangzi's perspectivism: all distinctions are conventional; the sage embraces transformation.

Historical Influences

Laozi Zhuangzi Zhuang Zhou

Intellectual Lineage

No conceptual lineage found.

Allied Works

Daodejing Zhuangzi Huainanzi

Contemporaries & Peers

No recorded contemporaries.

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

No conceptual posterity found.

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Daoism

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