Research On Taoist Philosophy Of Ame

Roger T.Ames is an American contemporary famous philosopher and sinologist with worldwide influence who has been paying much attention to the research of Chinese classical philosophy,especially Confucian philosophy and Daoist philosophy,and has important achievements which is valuable for the academic circle during his Chinese philosophy research for nearly half a century.However,the current research on Roger T.Ames’ thoughts always pay more attention to his Confucian philosophy,and less attention to his Daoist philosophy.In addition,the current research on Roger T.Ames’ Daoist philosophy mostly focus on some parts of his Daoist philosophy,and is scattered and incomplete.Therefore,based on The Art of Rulership: A Study in Ancient Chinese Political Thought,Making This Life Significant,Thinking from the Han: Self,Truth,and Transcendence in Chinese and Western Culture,and Self-Completion: viewing Classical Confucianism and Daoist from the perspective of the East and West as mutual mirrors,which shows the important achievements of Roger T.Ames’ Daoist philosophy,the thesis tries to have a systemic construction and comprehensive elucidation on Roger T.Ames’ Daoist philosophy from the perspective of cosmology,epistemology,life theory and political theory.Roger T.Ames’ Daoist philosophy research bases on the comparative perspective of Chinese philosophy and western philosophy.Roger T.Ames regards dao as a non-transcendental status and the process of the world itself,consisting of myriad things in focus-and-field mode.Therefore,Daoist cosmology is correlative in focus-and-field mode.From the perspective of epistemology,the knowing of dao is in focus-and-field mode.The focus-and-field mode consists of corrective and processional relationships,which means the knowing of dao begins from the relationships.During the relationships,individual’s knowing on dao is embodied in the identity of knowing and feeling,called epistemology of feeling by Roger T.Ames.The knowing of dao influences the Daoist self-cultivation mode,attitude towards life and death and the way of keeping in good health.The focus-and-field self in classical Daoist cultivate themselves’ de by wu-forms,and achieve the harmoniously symbiotic status with all things,which is called zhenren or sage.The focus-and-field self in classical Daoist regard life and death as a natural transformation,and pursue a natural or harmonious way of health preservation,so as to realize a harmonious coexistence between things in themselves’ field.This can be seen as a harmonious life theory in Roger T.Ames’ thoughts.The sage is ideal governor in Laozi,who acts spontaneously,rules people with wuweu,and returns the people into the ideal society of a small state with a minimal population,which is called Daoist political theory of wuwei by Roger T.Ames.It can be said that Daoist correlative cosmology,epistemology of feeling,harmonious life theory,political theory of wuwei in Roger T.Ames’ Daoist philosophy research form an inner and organic unity,which construct a new system for Daoist philosophy.We can say that starting from non-transcendental dao,Roger T.Ames’ research on Daoist cosmology,epistemology,life theory and political theory,are comprehensive and deep,show many new thoughts and opinions,such as Daoist correlative cosmology,Daoist epistemology of feeling,Daoist harmonious life theory,Daoist political theory of wuwei.Roger T.Ames,from the comparative perspective of Chinese philosophy and western philosophy,applies Daoist interpretive context to his research on Daoist philosophy,which provides valuable thinking and reference for Chinese philosophy getting rid of the research paradigm of the west-centered and the exploration of Daoist interpretive context.Roger T.Ames’ research on Daoist philosophy makes important contributions to the modernization and globalization of Daoist philosophy and Chinese philosophy.