The Daoist Influence on Zen: Embracing Pragmatism and Inquiry

1. Zen Review • Daoist contributions to Zen/Chan 禪 • Get rid of desire by forgetting words/concepts • Wu-wei and distinction of Nirvana-Samsara • Model of total focus in Zhuangzi • Samurai, tea ceremony, Noh drama • Positive this life focus—not = nirvana • But no further goal—no distinction • Fung Yu-lan’s 5 beliefs • No truth, cultivation, change, Buddhism • Ordinary activities dao

2. Teaching Techniques • Distinctive and Confucian envy • Story-telling v theory • Shocking stories (no religious reverence for Buddha, Sutras, rituals, icons etc. • Illustrate focus on the moment/present here • Shock, spitting, beating, cutting, shouting • Wake up, don’t think—look, taste, feel • Koan – Madyamika related – to give up • Kick out of temple—walking zen • Never tell too plainly • Creates more individual thought

3. Pragmatism: 20th Century Science • Blends rationalism-reality with real-world practice • Social models of language/knowledge • Like/unlike China • Sentence and inference difference • Reality (Science) via practice • Evolutionary influence: way of talking • Fitness along w/ species • Science a “survival” way of knowing • Knowing to, how and that • Relativity and Quantum mechanics

4. Belief as a Habit • Not internal picture—successful guide • Depends on conception of “success” • Peirce: The first formulation • Doubt an irritation, believe = smooth flow • Comfort and calm—how best to achieve it

5. Questions Final Examination questions Vote on test style

6. Practical Problem • How to achieve that comfort? • Fixed beliefs allow smooth, efficient action • Stability and "constancy" • Requires less of the "disruption" of doubt • Four candidates: tenacity, authority, a priori, science/reality

7. Tenacity • Strength in durability • Just a strategy of never change your mind • Weakness in the social impulse • Makes it inconvenient to work with others • Natural tendency to argue

8. Authority • Strength in social impulse • Easy social sharing—all believe the same thing • Weakness in durability • Change of thought leader = change in belief • Social and economic disaster

9. A priori (Socratic Method) • Strength in lack of domination • Each person reasons for herself • Weakness in subjectivism • Reason requires coherence • As long as we do not contradict ourselves, we can believe different coherent theories • Turns out that very few belief systems are inconsistent • Familiar weakness of Socratic method

10. Reality (Science) • Social, but not coerced • Shared institutions of search for knowledge • Publication, common assumptions, current theory • Authority about chemistry but no authority to declare chemical laws • Durable but not stubborn • Method of disproof but believe until disproved • Rational but objective testing • Self-correcting: we can use scientific method to evaluate particular methods

11. Real Emphasis: Integrity • The only method with an ethic! • It matters if right or wrong • as opposed to stable, shared, and spontaneous • Truth as the final product of scientific inquiry • Not some match (correspondence) with reality • Emphasis on procedure, method, and long-run stability

12. American Triumvirate • Peirce, James, Dewey • James • Makes success of a belief personal and psychological • Founder of academic discipline of psychology • Religion, mysticism, moral beliefs • Will to believe and mortal decisions

13. Truth Is What Works (for You) • The successful idea • Test subjective • Makes you feel better to believe in god, free will, morality and so on • Peirce more idealistic about truth • Still a social product—but in the long run • Tension and “pragmaticism”

14. Dewey • Social, political issues • Education reform • Problem solving • Some at HKU now! • Stops talking about truth • Too abstract • Warranted assertability • What do the social norms of assertion require, allow and forbid saying? • Justification or warrant rest on social norms

15. Pragmatic Mix • Darwinism, Kant and utilitarianism • Mind structures reality • Darwinian context: solves problems for the organism • Rationality is a product of evolution • Ways of solving problems that • Are compact enough to "fit in genes" • Successful general strategies given how the world is

16. Inquiry • Constructs a Kantian world that works • Change when it doesn't • Survival determining, but lots of room for selection • Hence also utilitarian • Cost-benefit analysis • In the extreme has survival consequences

17. Steps in Inquiry • Habit • Frustration • Doubt • Gathering information • Hypotheses • Testing • Return to action

18. Only "Practical" Doubt • Mind only "works" when habit is unsuccessful • Intellectually conservative • Accept scientific picture until disproof • Anti-Descartes • No abstract doubt • Evil demon makes knowledge impossible • May be mathematical, intellectual puzzles • But not "systematic" doubt

19. Neurath's Boat • Listing because of a leak • Repair at sea (we have to stay afloat while we fix our system) • Rely on the good side while we repair the broken plank • Might eventually repair the whole boat • No single plank is irreplaceable • No "fundamental belief" • Rely on other beliefs while correctingsome • Might later correct those • As in Socratic method • Rely on other premises

20. Focus on Social Intelligence • Share information: gather, store, access • Less tolerant of individual "success“ (James) • Science, logic and scientific method • Efficient storage, retrieval, testing • V apprentices, secret transmission, know-how • Social intelligence about ethics, crime, economics and so forth • Critical conformity • No authority but only doubt when a problem • Including theoretical problems

21. Social Emphasis • Interest in Marxism, China • Shared social focus • American "socialist" • Critical of Marxism but shared view of human social nature • Main divergence: radical v ameliorative • Violent v liberal—like Neurath's boat

22. "Classical Liberalism" • Conservative individualism • Shallow psychology of human nature • Atomistic, egoistic, base hedonistic, amoral individuals • Needing law to motivate moral behavior • Self‑fulfilling prophecy • American character v. Chinese character: • Our nature is shaped by culture and institutions

23. Classical Focus Wrong • Not question of individual v society • Question is how to blend nature & culture • New liberalism • Way to justify liberty is that its institutions create free people • Self-critical, responsible, autonomous • Not something demanded by metaphysically free individuals

24. Democracy • Face to face discussion creates communal humans • Shared views • Mutual respect • Equality • Concern for community • Advocate democracy • To create self‑governing, self‑perfecting beings

25. Real Problems for Liberalism • Non‑political/cultural factors inhibit moral growth • Even when politically free • Manipulative "free" institutions • Economic determinism • Songs and arts • Confucius on 禮liritual and music

26. Manipulation • Television and advertising create artificial needs • Cars, fashions, perfumes, colognes, style • Related to songs and natural impulse • Cf. Laozi • Education for jobs • Free form of slavery • Sensationalist slaves • Educational system‑‑teaches docility

27. Solution • Political involvement • People take real power over themselves • Set up institutions with that goal • Social intelligence • Value knowledge is like scientific • Social and coherent • Criticize some only—no systematic value doubt

28. Philosophy for All • Reason in morals and in science • Social shared intelligence • We cannot choose not to philosophize • We choose do it well. . . • Or badly

29. Thank You • Please stay for a few minutes to complete the course evaluation • Good luck!