How does Daoism differ from Western religions?
HGM: The Daodejing is not concerned with anything “beyond” or “transcendent” such as a God or “absolute” values such as truth, the good, etc. Unlike many Western philosophies and religions, Chinese philosophy and Daoism were not so much concerned with finding out what was “true” but with finding out how to act effectively and efficiently so that order in society can be established and that one can lead a healthy and content life. Daoism is thoroughly “this-worldly.” There is no external creator or force, the world is rather a self-generating and self-regenerating (autopoietic) process. For the Daodejing, the world is an ongoing process of reproduction—and it does not ask the question if the chicken or the egg came first. This is perhaps the most striking “metaphysical” difference between Daoism and dominating Western philosophies and religions. Another difference is the value it ascribes to the human species. Christianity, for instance, believes that the human being is the crown of cre
