Category Archives: Definitions

For Definitions of Terms

Anti-Reductionism (Definition)

Anti-reductionism opposes the idea that complex phenomena can be fully explained by breaking them down into simpler parts. It usually emphasizes emergent properties and holistic perspectives, arguing that certain phenomena cannot be understood solely by analyzing their components.

Example: the whole is greater than its parts

Example 2: Smaller parts may consist of larger parts, instead of saying that smaller parts must consist of larger parts

Daoism (Definition)

  • Dao is the idea of a principle that underlies all things. Theories of the Dao are therefore attempts to understand our world as a whole. To paraphrase its question: How can this world with its many appearances, such as forests, rivers, lakes and mountains or animals, settlements, villages and mega-cities… how can all these phenomena that are challenged by natural catastrophes, violence, and wars, be understood so that we do not lose ourselves, but find our place in the cosmos?
  • Daosim seems to serve a Western romanticism, an admiration for the harmony between humans and nature as a whole. However, how often does somebody point to the moon, but instead of perceiving the higher meaning, he either looks at the finger or the person who is pointing? He, who looks at the finger of someone pointing at the moon, will not see the moon. He, who looks at words, doesn’t see their meaning and he, who looks at meanings will not look at what is. This is a common problem in Daoism.
  • Daoism is therefore not another romantic wholism serving our wellnessindustry. Instead of romantic stoicism, Daoism rather cultivates our personal spirit by teaching concentration and self-control in regard to the nothing that is. It brings us to a “system of internal circulation and rejuvenation”. It also teaches the ethical dimension of “self-subordination and frugality”. It questions our self-defeating behaviors such as aggrandizement and childish gigantomania. In the end, it attempts to fulfill the demands of an existing nothingness and an existence that vanishes into nothing.

Quotes

“Man suffers only because he takes seriously what the gods made for fun.” ― Alan Wilson Watts [[Daoism]]

“To understand the limitation of things, desire them.” ― Lao Tzu, [Tao Te Ching] [[Life]] [[Daoism]]

Video Recommendations

I do think that the following vides give the best and most comprehensive introductions into Daoism.

1. Taoism the Art of Effortless living

2. An animated introduction to Yin and Yang

3. An interesting discussion at the BBC

4. A lecture of Alan Watts

Another lecture of Alan Watts

5. Lecture on Daoism (more university style)

6. 8 Ways to be in the present

Sickness Unto Death

“This sickness unto death is what Kierkegaard calls despair. According to Kierkegaard, an individual is “in despair” if he does not align himself with God or God’s plan for the self. In this way, he loses his self, which Kierkegaard defines as the “relation’s relating itself to itself in the relation.” Kierkegaard defines humanity as the tension between the “finite and infinite”, and the “possible and the necessary”, and is identifiable with the dialectical balancing act between these opposing features, the relation. While humans are inherently reflective and self-conscious beings, to become a true self one must not only be conscious of the self but also be conscious of being grounded in love, viz the source of the self in “the power that created it.” When one either denies this self or the power that creates and sustains this self, one is in despair.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sickness_Unto_Death#Summary

Misleading Statements

To all netizens who have made the word ‘lie’ to a part of their standard vocabulary, it would be a misleading statement to call a misleading statement a lie. Actually, a lie is a qualified misleading statement, precisely a statement by which the speaker intentionally misleads. Since not every misleading statement is intentionally misleading, it is a misleading statement if we call a misleading statement a lie. If you claim that this is still a lie then probably you are a liar too.

The same argument applies for people who routinely accuse others of red herring.