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Review: Ethical Types and Daoism

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

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Review: Ethical Types and Daoism

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  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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+

  6. Analysis of "Knowledge" • Laozi accepts abandon knowledge • But not 大道fatalism (non-dao) • Discourse 道 daos: come in opposites • Names 名(opposites) • Distinctions (implied: one per pair) • Desires 欲 • Innovation: desires generated by names • 為 weideem:do action

  7. 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 wulackweideem:do a paradox • Wu-wei and yet wu-bu-wei無不為 • no concept guided action

  8. 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?

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. Puzzle • All language distorts the 道 dao Distorts the 道 dao

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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?

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