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In Search of the Ultimate: The Dao
This is the third post in a brief series on the Ultimate, using philosopher Jeanine Diller’s article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy as our primary guide. Diller examines three major “Ultimates” in the order in which the ideas of them were developed. Brahman was first and was discussed in the previous post. Next for Diller is the biblical God, and then the Chinese Dao. We will examine the Dao here and save the biblical theistic ideas last.
The Dao is translated as the Way, Path and Guide. Diller explains the idea of this as fundamental truth or Ultimate emerged as a result of a spiritual crisis caused by the “Warring States” involving the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty and its influence in the second century BCE. The collapse of political stability and institutions that had lasted almost 800 years caused adherents of the belief in Tian, or Heaven, to question what or who was behind their experience of life.
Diller does not explore earlier ideas including Tian, but going a bit deeper helps clarify why Daoism or Taoism is seen as a result of questioning this ancient belief. Tian, translated as Heaven, dates far back to perhaps the 17th century BCE. Westerners more easily picture heaven as a place, but Tian appears to be personalized and synonymous with the early Chinese for Lord on High, or supreme deity called Shangdi.
