The Daoist/Taoist school of educational thought emphasized living in harmony with nature. Education aimed to teach people to maintain nature's way rather than try to change it. Students were taught to be content and refrain from desires, serving without pay. Education involved no textbooks, just allowing people to learn in a primitive, natural state. The Daoist philosophy was based on the theory that human nature is simply a state of nature that should be uninfluenced by cognition or desires.

1. Educational Thought
of the Daoist/Taoist
GROUP 2

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CONTENTS
Introduction & Historical Background
Purpose of Education
Method of Education
Content of Education
Believes/Doctrines
Theoretical Basis
Symbol of Yin Yang
Comparison of Chinese Ancient Philosophy (Xun
Zi, Mohist, Legalist)

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INTRODUCTION
Founder: Lao Zi (Little is known about him).
Brief History: “Historical Records” by Sima Qian.
Family Name: Li, Personal Name: Er, Alias: Ran.
From Ku County in the State of Chu (Now Luyi
County in Henan Province).
Later generations named him Lao Zi. Lao means
“elderly & respected”, and Zi is an appellation for a
“handsome man”.
His thought reflected the culture & education at Chu

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Daoist School was first formed by “recluses” in
the Spring & Autumn period.
Recluses were intellectuals who were mostly
declining aristocrats because of their political failure
Recluses were therefore unwilling to hold office and
retired to the countryside to teach other recluses
(Lao Zi was one of them).
Lao Zi & Conficius, & division of the school
Zhuang Zi (no robbery, the “real man”)

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LAO ZI ORIGINAL NAVIETY

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ZHUANG ZI EXAMPLE

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PURPOSE OF EDUCATION
To understand and follow the law of
nature
Advocated “Returning to Nature”
Training people to maintain the nature of
everything instead of attempting to alter it
Get people back to simplicity and
truthfulness and to the natural and
primitive state

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METHOD OF EDUCATION
Primitive and
natural state: No
text book & go
with the flow

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CONTENT OF EDUCATION
Preached the law of nature
Asking people to refrain from
being greedy for material pleasure
Be content with what they had and
maintain their origins
Serving without pay (a wise man)

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BELIEVES & DOCTRINE
Opposed to traditional culture, including the
traditional concepts of humanity,
righteousness, virtue, filial piety, and fraternal
duty
They would held that humanity and
righteousness would destroy the great dao
Wisdom would lead to hypocrisy
Filial piety and fraternal duty would
undermine the harmony of a family

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BELIEVES & DOCTRINE CTD.
He denied the existence of the heavenly God
He believed “Dao” was the origin of
everything in the world
Letting nature take it course
He emphasis naturalness, spontaneity,
simplicity, humility
Wu-Wei = action – no / without action

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BELIEVES & DOCTRINE CTD.
Wu wei’ means not forcing things on their
way.
Wu wei signifies that the action should be
immediately in accordance with the Tao,
hence the necessary will be done without
exaggeration, hyperbole or over eagerness as
these are considered obstructive, though rather
in an easy, facile, non disturbing way, leading
to overall harmony and balance.

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THEORITICAL BASIS
Theory of Human Nature
Human nature was just a state of nature and it
should be “no cognition and no desire”
Allowing everything to be arrange by nature
Showing no feelings of love and hatred or like
and dislike towards any human affairs

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SYMBOL OF YIN & YANG
Important concept of Daoism
Yin-Yang = "dark-bright",
"negative-positive"
The yin, the dark swirl, is
associated with shadows,
femininity, and the trough of a
wave
The yang, the light swirl,
represents brightness, passion and
growth

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COMPARISON OF CHINESE ANCIENT
PHILOSOPHY (Xun Zi, Mohist, Legalist)

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COMPARISON OF CHINESE ANCIENT
PHILOSOPHY (Xun Zi, Mohist, Legalist)

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REFERENCE
Guo, Q. (2009). A history of chinese educational
thought (1st ed). Beijing: Foreign Language Press.

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