In this particular day, I shall discuss Philosophy as demonstrated by
Lao Tzu in the way he reveals the philosophical problem.
The philosophical problem that is being dealt by Lao Tzu in this sense
is all about the absence of natural harmony.
It is rooted from man straying from the course of Nature and insisting
their own ways. With man’s artificial
impositions driven by desire and greed, chaos and destruction occur and these
do not give any benefit to anyone. It
causes injury to both the individual and his surroundings. This is the common mistake of modern people
of today, who greatly depends on science to push through what they want. Although not all scientific pursuits are necessarily
wrong or bad, what seems to be the problem is the people using such pursuits to
advance their own selfish desires. Desires
are not basically wrong or bad. However,
when these desires become cravings, then, they become wrong or bad. They
manifest selfishness and greed.
The technological inventions are worthy innovations of modernity. They are manifested in many high end gadgets
used by today’s generation. They are not bad or wrong in themselves. Many of us
have enjoyed the internet, the cellular phones, galaxy tablets, I phones and so
on. Many also enjoyed a lot of instant things like ATM, credit cards, and
anything that can be done through the internet. In short, life becomes so fast.
These are things which confront today’s people. They are very convincing, enjoyable, practical
and useful. They helped in the
development of a lot of outputs in society.
But they are good in themselves.
Now, it is up for man how to deal with them. Despite that they are inventions, they also
reflect man’s inner creativity. They are
just there for man to use and enjoy. But how he uses and enjoys the matters
most. His attitudes towards them will
also determine his attitudes towards Nature.
Such attitudes will also imply if he philosophizes or not.
The common attitude in relation to the outburst of technology and
scientific inventions is man’s tendency to desire for more. This endless desire
for many things caused disharmony which disturbs the proper flow of things
around him. Nature teaches one to pursue
only what is necessary. It teaches him
to be content with what he is and what he has.
But going beyond this, man causes conflict, chaos and misunderstanding
with others. He becomes enslaved by
technology and inventions. He ruins his values and the harmony within him and
with others. He becomes a problem in
society.
Lao Tzu considers philosophy as a way to reveal the laws of Nature. It
begins in reflection and goes through realizing wisdom out of that
reflection. Our daily experiences with
others and realities in our society are things which lead us to reflect. Reflection lets one see the wider and deeper
aspects of anything. It lets one realize
meanings, implications, contradictions and lessons. It leads one to learn and find wisdom in all
things. When one finds wisdom in all
things, he will realize that such wisdom leads him to understand Nature as the
essence of everything. Uniting one’s
self with that essence is living his life peacefully and happily with Nature.
When one philosophizes, he
knows when and how to stop. This is through
reflection. It is in this sense that he
can prevent himself from going overboard. He cannot be ruined or enslaved by anything in
the world. He knows what to do with
technology and scientific inventions. He
remains on top of them. He masters them and does not let such unnecessary
things master him. In deep reflection,
one rids himself of the unnecessary things that can blind him from seeing what
is really essential. One realizes the
course of Nature and exerts his efforts to find himself in union with it. He can spare himself from ruin and could even
see the necessary thing to do. Such
enlightenment is possible when one deeply reflects about the things around
him. This is because deep reflection
brings one closer to his natural self, a self which is free from any artificial
impositions and unnecessary things. And
because the individual gets closer to his natural self, he then has the idea of
the level in which he can do things without going beyond himself. As Fung Yu-Lan stated in his book, A Short History of Chinese Philosophy, “The
limit of advancement for a given activity is also relative to objective
circumstances.” 1
Fung’s statement only implies that knowing when to stop is not only
specific at a certain period, but no
matter what situation the individual is confronted with, he knows what to do
and what to prioritize. Then, he
overcomes conflict, greed and selfish desires.
In this way, he prevents disharmony and chaos in society.
Philosophy or philosophizing teaches one to know oneself by
reflection. In philosophizing, one
reveals to himself the laws of Nature. It can prevent him from overdoing. When one reflects, he stops. This stopping means that the individual knows
what he is and what he can certainly do. This is the way of Nature. This is very important especially when there
are a lot of things and realities that come along the way. One can prevent
himself from impulsive actions which can lead him to his downfall. In philosophizing, one learns that a happy
life is one which is directed only to necessary things. That necessary things
are not too much. They are just enough
and, therefore, they are natural. Whatever
he encounters in life, his task is to find the wisdom hidden in it. That wisdom is Nature.
Source:
1.
Fung Yu-Lan, “Lao Tzu”, (New York: The Free
Press, 1948), In A Short History of
Chinese Philosophy, 98.
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