Review: Ethical Types and Daoism Two broad types of normative theory

Teleological (future) and deontological (duty, merit, past)

Two units of analysis Act and larger (rule, discourse, tradition,

dao) Grid of 4 & Mencius is Act Deontology Entails intuitionism as meta-ethical

epistemology Metaphysical development adds 理 liprinciple to 氣

qilife-force

Daoism Origins: Ethos and theory Reconstructing, not historical affiliations

Ethos (anti social/moral) hermits and Yang Zhu Theory--meta-focus on 'dao'

Meaning of, nature of, knowledge of etc. First theoretical Daoist = Shen Dao

Theory of dao as course of action Summed to include the whole world through

time

Determinism and Fatalism Shen Dao: One past actual course

Many possibilities but one actual future course Abandon Knowledge

You don't need knowledge to follow 大道 the great dao

You will: "even a clod of earth cannot miss" Whatever actually happens is 大道

Reductio of Mozi/Mencius naturalism? Nothing more natural than the actual

Two Determinisms & Fatalism

Logical, Scientific, Fatalistic What will be will be (tautology)

Scientific: induction on experience Everything caused/predictable in advance

Neither entails fatalism (soft determinism) Especially Shen Dao—only logical det.

Other problems Unnatural “natural” guide—use language,

make shi-fei judgments, have know-how Prescriptive Paradox: To obey is to disobey

C.f. collectively defeating morality

Questions

Mencius says the heart-mind has an innate shi-fei intuition. Discuss Zhuangzi’s rebuttal of

that position. Coffee tutorial Thurs 1 PM

Next week—submit times and numbers 10+

Analysis of "Knowledge"

Laozi accepts abandon knowledgeBut not 大道 fatalism (non-dao)

Discourse 道 daos: come in oppositesNames 名 (opposites)Distinctions (implied: one per pair)Desires 欲

Innovation: desires generated by names 為 weideem:do action

Problem: Same Paradox?

Distinction of natural and conventional desires Forms of social constraint Language distorts by gross distinction

while there are infinite shades in nature Desire to be natural Act on the desire (forgetting) 無 為 wulack weideem:do a paradox

Wu-wei and yet wu-bu-wei 無不為 no concept guided action

No Constant Dao

道可道非常道 Any dao that guides is not constant dao-ing

Because based on 名 and 名可名非常名 Any name that names is not

constant name-ing Negative 道 daoguide by emphasizing

opposite virtues= 反 reversal Passive, lower, water, cool, submissive,

female Constant 道 daoguide ? Unspeakable?

Relevance to Mencius

The intuitions that Confucians think are natural are socially cultivated Burial, filial piety, attitudes to authority Status, wealth, style

Hong Kong slavery Innate 天 道 is very thin

Eat, sleep, children, farm, small villages

Common Anti-language Problem

墨 辯 Mohist semantic analysis: To say “language bad” is bad

以言為盡誖誖也（不可） ：說在其言 Paradox of the liar

This sentence is false Both truth and falsity are contradictory

All Sentences are false Not a paradox But false

Challenge to Zhuangzi

Puzzle

All language distorts the 道 dao

Zhuangzi: Textual Issues Relation to Laozi

Probably earlier—didn’t know he was 道家 No contact or knowledge

Refer to as Confucian in Inner Chapters Outer Chapters dialogues a Zhuangist

Project a similarity of focus Construction of desires from language/culture

Relation to School of Names 名 家 closer Friend of 惠 施 Hui Shi

Deals with anti-language paradox better than Hui Shi or Laozi

Pipes of 天 tian nature:sky

Human voices and arguing about philosophy is natural Like birds tweeting and frogs croaking

Gives Yangzhu, Mozi and Mencius what they want Not worth anything Want authority over rivals and 天 tiannature:sky

fails Hint from Shen Dao—no normative content Pure fact—no ought/value

Priority of Dao over 天 Must presuppose a 道 daoguide

For a Daoist, 道 daoguide the authority, not 天 tiannature:sky

The cosmos doesn't make guiding judgments--all from a 道 daoguide

Cannot escape responsibility for our own dao judgments

Should I follow 天 tiannature:sky? No matter what authority

Refutation of Mencius

Should follow our hearts and should follow 天 tiannature:sky ( 性 xingnature ) All organs are equally natural

C.f. Mencius' weeds How do you 是 shithis:right a favorite?

Rely on the 心 xinheart-mind? Begs the question Take turns or have no ruler?