Daoism is an ancient world-famous philosophical movement that has always been a matter of interest for philosophers. This traditional Chinese philosophy focuses on the understanding that Dao is an ultimate void forming the supreme world order (Ivanhoe 5). The Daodejing of Laozi, where the various Daoism concepts are collected, touches upon the universal theme of social equality and governmental structure. Moreover, the complicated issue of identifying the sense of living is also addressed in this work. These themes, life meaning and governmental system exploration made the text relevant for many centuries.
The main aim of Daoism is to help people understand that their life emotion-oriented activities are a deviation from the Dao way of emptiness and constant thinking. From the Daoism philosophy, evil is being subordinate to somebody or something physical because the only good is the Dao commitment (Ivanhoe 12). Considering this idea, it is essential to mention that such a term as inequality should never exist in a Dao-oriented society. The ideal ruler should not interfere with the natural order of the state. As any activity distorts the universal nature, wars are also considered evil. From the Daoism perspective, the meaning of life is in the rejection of the surviving activities and ultimate commitment to the void and universe (Ivanhoe 9). Such traction is scary for people due to their surviving instincts. The void, one of the terrifying outcomes of human life, is treated as the ultimate happiness. The unique understanding of the universe and human life’s meaning has made this philosophy compelling and relevant for centuries.
The Daodejing of Laozi contains the representation of the Daoism ideas. This text has been relevant for centuries due to its unique approach to the human and society’s role in the universe order. The human life’s purpose in the endless void is to be the observer and try to live in harmony with absolute calmness and peace without disturbing the natural order of things.
Work Cited
Ivanhoe, Philip, editor. The Daodejing of Laozi. Seven Bridges Press, 2001.