Looking for the Dao in East Asia

Catalog description

This course explores an array of early thought and practices in East Asia that had lasting impact--down to today. The focus is on foundational texts, systems of belief, and the arts (music, calligraphy, painting). In one way or another, these were primarily concerned with discovering and propagating a certain Way (Dao) that was believed to embody cosmic principles and be essential to a good life and a harmonious society. But there was plenty of disagreement about what the Way was, where to look for it, and how best to practice it in daily life. We concentrate on cultural values in ancient China that became intrinsic there and were later transported throughout East Asia (Korea, Japan) and even to Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc.). Since antiquity, Chinese thinking grappled with the question of how society should be ordered and what if any model should be adopted to achieve social harmony. A range of rival philosophical and religious systems emerged. Later, people who were not satisfied with any one of these extended their inquiries into other areas of human endeavor, especially in the literary, musical, and visual arts, discovering that these could embody their own Way that led to a fulfilling life. We will give attention to all of these alternative understandings of the Way, which collectively account for many of the distinctive traits of culture and history in East Asia.