Taoism refers both to a religion (Tao-chiao) and to a metaphysical doctrine (Tao-chia) originating in China and traditionally attributed to Laozi (Lao-Tzu), VIᵗʰ century BC, whose classic text, the Daodejing (Tao-te-Ching), is widely known and easily accessible.
Taoism is generally dated to the period of the Warring States (475–221 BC), though it already incorporates older beliefs and practices.
More precisely
The term Taoism may designate two complementary poles:
- Tao-chia — the philosophical / metaphysical aspect;
- Tao-chiao — the religious / liturgical aspect.
The Tao (道), central principle, is the Origin of all things — ineffable, ungraspable — the Way by which all things arise and to which all return.
It is describable only in negative terms:
« The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. »
(Daodejing)
Taoism teaches conformity with the spontaneous unfolding of the Tao through wu-wei (無為), “non-action” or “effortless action,” which does not mean passivity, but acting without forcing, in harmony with the natural flow.
Taoist cosmology places emphasis on the dynamic complementarity of opposites (yin-yang), whose interplay generates and balances the manifested world.
On the religious side, Taoism comprises a vast body of rituals, alchemical techniques, meditative practices, healing methods, and contemplative paths aimed at aligning the human being with the Tao.
It influenced Chinese medicine, martial arts, cosmology, and Chinese culture as a whole.
The quest for spiritual immortality, sometimes also conceived in more bodily terms (internal alchemy), is notable in certain currents of Taoism.
Further reading
- Laozi, Daodejing — foundational text.
- Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi — parables, narratives, and mystical wisdom.
- Liezi, Liezi — philosophical Taoist treatise.
- Guo Xiang, Commentary on the Zhuangzi — classical interpretation.
- Henri Maspero, Taoism and Chinese Religion — historical foundations.
- Isabelle Robinet, Taoism: Growth of a Religion — scholarly synthesis.
- Kristofer Schipper, The Taoist Body — practice, ritual, cosmology.
- Bruno Bérard, Metaphysics for Everyone — metaphysical insights.