Taoism View of Knowledge Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taoism View of Knowledge - Case Study Example Socrates’ profession of his ignorance is widely known because he does not proclaim that he knows nothing. He asserts that he knows nothing valuable. If one understands the nature of human virtues, he will know how to conduct his life. He also comes up with a principle called the priority of definition. One cannot specify what something is unless he provides its definition. Since we have all lived with knowledge buried in us, we only need to reactivate it to bring it to the surface. Knowledge involves the ability to elucidate why things are the way they are. In a nutshell, knowledge is the understanding of the subject matter rather than a guess or an opinion of what something entails. Thus, learning is a recollection (Buffy 39-51). Taoism is one of the major religio-philosophical traditions that have shaped Chinese life for a long time. It is characterized by a positive and active attitude towards the theories on the nature of reality. Taoism incorporates the ideas and attitudes of Lao-Tzu (Tao Te Ching) and his later commentators Chuang-Tzu and Lieh –Tzu who influenced the worship of Tao. On constructs of knowledge and language, Taoists holds the view that all human beings are fundamentally one. Differences only arise when people lose sight of the whole and see their ways as worthy. He compares those people with a frog at the base of the well who values the brightness he sees from the sky.   All that is good and evil, true or false are relative notions; an argument means that one is failing to see (Hans 21). The Taoists view of the ideal relates to being innocent of knowledge and devoid of desire. However, the basics of food and clothing are exceptional in the free of desire. Other desires above these basics need to be overcome. Desiring food is acceptable but the desire for delicacies is what is discouraged. Knowledge of what is desirable brings excitement and satisfaction. Knowledge is unavoidable, hence, we need to use it to reduce rather than increase desire. Unfortunately, we use knowledge to increase desire because what we do not know cannot hurt us.