Heading Towards Harmony

Facing the fragmented traditional western culture, many modernist writers in the west, shrouded in loneliness, estrangement and nihility, turned their attentions to the ancient and profound oriental culture and derived rich nourishment from the oriental culture (Ezra Pound is a typical representative). Although some other intellectuals knew little about the oriental culture, their exploration of human civilization happened to share the same view with the essence of oriental culture. Virginia Woolf, a celebrated English modernist writer, is a typical representative in this respect. Her understanding about nature and civilization coincides with Lao Tzu's principles of "the unification of Heaven and Man" and "man abides by Earth, Earth abides by Heaven, Heaven abides by Tao and Tao follows the way of nature"; Her feminist ideas and androgynous theory, in essence, are in line with Lao Tzu's propositions about "knowing the male, abiding by the female" and "all things leave behind them Yin, and go forward to embrace Yang" ; Her concern about the crisis of human alienation is consistent with Lao Tzu's accusation of "five hues", "five notes", and "five flavors" and his proposition of "seeking to satisfy the belly, not the eyes"; Her anti-war stance, in some sense, is also in agreement with Lao Tzu's opinions. The reason why Woolf's modernist ideas have so much in common with Lao Tzu's Taoist philosophy lies in their common concern of the "materialized phenomena" in their respective "troubled times", and their in-depth groping for ways to get rid of the plight of their age.The thesis falls into three chapters.Chapter One analyzes the relations between man and nature. The core of Lao Tzu's ecological conceptions is the emphasis on the harmony between man and nature. As a part of ecosystem, human beings are closely connected with other parts. The violation of ecological balance will inevitably bring disasters to human existence and development. Lao Tzu's thought can be summed up in five words: "unification of Heaven and Man", which requires humans to "follow the laws of nature" and act "non-action". Woolf s ecological ideas, in many aspects, share the same view with conceptions of Lao Tzu. Woolf believes that only if people are in harmony with nature can mankind live forever. In all her life, Woolf has been exploring harmony between man and nature. Just like Lao Tzu, Woolf considers men as products of nature. Only if they obey the laws of nature can humans enjoy boundless freedom and prosperity. All these propositions will be of great significance in maintaining harmony between man and nature and guaranteeing balance of ecological environment.Chapter Two discusses the relations between male and female. Lao Tzu's philosophy speaks highly of the characteristics of females and venerates female as the root of all things in the universe. It advocates that "female can overcome male", which is not consistent with conceptions in patriarchal society. Furthermore, Lao Tzu's philosophy is one that stresses "complementation between Yin and Yang". With emphasis on femininity, Lao Tzu recommends harmonious existence of men and women. The Taoist propositions of "knowing the male, abiding by the female" and "complementation of Yin and Yang" are in line with Woolf's androgynous ideas. Woolf s theory of androgyny has found a way out for achieving harmony between male and female.Chapter three discusses the relations between man and civilization. The relations between human existence and the development of civilization is another important issue concerned by Lao Tzu. He recommends "seeking to satisfy the belly, not the eyes" and considers "five hues", "five notes" and "five tastes" as obstacles to the development of human beings. Besides that, he advocates purifying one's heart and having few desires. He opposes warfare and approves beneficence, which will be of great significance for human existence. In early 20th century, the progress of science and technology and the loss of faith bring about spiritual alienation and anxiety for modern men. While fully enjoying the favorable living conditions brought about by the material civilization, people feel particularly the spiritual puzzlement and exhaustion. Woolf is extremely worried about the crisis of human existence. Facing the cruel warfare and the alienated interpersonal relations, Woolf makes an in-depth exploration of these issues. Her conceptions about human existence and development are in line with Lao Tzu's philosophy.This paper, based on studies of forerunners', the author tries to make a comparative study on Woolf's modernist ideas and Lao Tzu's Taoist philosophy, so as to find out a new way for solving numerous contradictions in the process of human development, and then reach a realm of harmony.