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Human nature is the disposition of man. That is a fact. Where, when, or how human nature arises is where the question lies. Sarte believes that man starts with nothing and that he acquires an essence through living. The Tao Te Ching, on the other hand, promotes the idea that the essence of human nature is found and implanted within the soul. These two points regarding the issue of human nature are poles apart, but if read into deeply enough, one can see that they both have the same aspiration.
That goal is to define when, where, and how human nature evolves within man. Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism (Sarte, 349). An existentialist believes that existence comes before essence (Sarte, 348). In following this phrase, man is born empty. In order for him to obtain his value, his worth, or should I say, his essence, he must learn and grow from life, as opposed to with it...
man first of all exists, encounters himself, surges up in the world-and defines himself afterwards (Sarte, 349). If human nature were a honey jar, it would start out empty. As man walks the journey of life, he receives a teaspoon of honey in his jar for every value he picks up, emotion he expresses, and essentially, every time he contributes to his self-promotion. In Taoist belief, you begin life with a far full of honey. Man is born with an essence and does not need to put forth any effort in which to fill his jar. The way to do is to be (Philosophical Analysis Lecture, February 7, 2000).
The Tao Te Ching enforces the concept that the essence of human nature is instilled within the soul. In order to realize the Tao which you possess, you must... stay at the center of the circle and let all things take their course (Tao Te Ching, 19). You must be without being, do without doing and understand without knowing. I think that the meaning of the Tao varies from person to person, but the underlying idea that we all possess a human essence is evident within each Taoist.
The content ness and simplicity of a Taoist is what allows their human nature to erupt without lifting a finger. Content with an ordinary life, you can show all people the way back to their own true nature (Tao Te Ching, 65) I do not know if I am afraid of existentialism s free commitment (Sarte, 362) or if I am annoyed by it s overwhelming optimism (Sarte, 347), but for some reason, this concept that belongs to no school of thought does not appeal to me. The Tao Te Ching, however, leaves me with a sense of fulfillment and content ness. Both philosophical views answered the questions of where, when, and how human nature arises, but I think I would rather start out with a jar full of honey.
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Research essay sample on Tao Te Ching Human Nature