A Research Into The Economic Views Of Taoism

Integrating deduction and induction, combining logic and history, and analyzing data, this dissertation applies the basic principles of Dialectical Materialism and Historical Materialism of Marxist philosophy to systematically analyze the Taoism economic thoughts. By analyzing historical facts, the dissertation compares the role that Taoism economic thoughts play in the development of Chinese economy with that in the development of Western economy. This study shows that Taoism plays a very important role in the progress of Chinese history. The prosperity of the dynasties in Chinese history is more or less associated with Taoism and its economic thoughts. The Taoism philosophy of "learning law from nature" and "governing by doing nothing against nature" aims to achieve harmony between man and nature, man and society by inhibiting human desires and the desires of the ruling class in particular. Compared to the modern systematic, quantitative and empirical operation mode of economy, surely the Taoism economic thoughts are negative and hard to operate. Nevertheless, it is prominently forward-looking in comparison to Adam Smith’s "invisible hand" and Hayek’s "spontaneous order" in modern times because the Western mainstream economic thoughts lie in expanding human beings’ desires to achieve their maximum interests, which easily leads to the infinite expansion of the subjectivity of the human beings, and results in tension in the relationship between human and nature. Subsequently, problems like the exhaustion of natural resources and environmental pollution are early exposed, which also brings about tension within human societies, leading to severe differentiation of levels and generating instability and unrest. This dissertation aims to discuss respectively the pros and cons of Taoist economic thought and the Western economic outlook in hope of finding a sustainable road of economic development to achieve a harmonious relationship between human and nature and also between human and society.This dissertation consists of three parts of five chapters. The first part, including Chapter one to Chapter three, defines the philosophical basis, main content and basic characteristics of Taoism economic thoughts, sorting out the representatives of different schools of Taoism and the Taoism economic theories embodied in other schools of philosophy. The second part, Chapter Four, comprehensively and systematically analyses and discusses the influences of Taoism economic thoughts on the development of Chinese and Western economy. On the basis of the study of the previous four chapters, the third part, Chapter Five, explores the historical value, practical significance, and limitations of Taoism economic thoughts and their enlightenment on the contemporary world, providing reference for the development of socialist market economy with Chinese characteristics.The first chapter, "The Philosophical Basis of Taoism Economic Thoughts", explores the philosophical basis of Taoism philosophy and Taoism economic thoughts.The second chapter, "The Formation and Evolution of the Taoism Economic Thoughts", comprehensively and systematically analyses and discusses the formation and evolution of the Taoism economic thoughts, clearing out the Taoism economic thoughts represented by Yang Zhu, Laozi, Zhuangzi and the economic thought embodied in "Guan Zi" and Huang-Lao Taoism.The third chapter, "The Basic Connotation and Ideological Characteristics of the Taoism Economic Thoughts", gives an introduction to the basic connotation and ideological characteristics of Taoism economic thoughts, which is the first systematic elaboration of Taoism economic thoughts.Based on the main content of the Taoism economic thoughts, the fourth chapter, "The Influence of the Taoism Economic thoughts", focuses on the social impacts that the Taoism economic thoughts exert on the ideology of the Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties, of the Ming and Qing dynasties and of modern China ever since the end of Qing dynasty, and expounds the influence of the Taoism economic thoughts on the social and economic development of China and the Western world.The Fifth Chapter, "The Reflection of the Taoism Economic Thoughts", is the last part of this dissertation. On the basis of theories and analysis presented in the previous chapters, this chapter analyses the realistic value of the Taoism economic thoughts in light of the Western economic depression and China’s economic transformation, analyzing the enlightenment of the Taoism economic thoughts on the contemporary globalization. At the same time, this chapter sums up the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of the Taoism economic thoughts viewed in perspective.Through the above systematic analysis, the dissertation achieves the following breakthroughs:Firstly, this is a systematical study of the Taoist economic thought. For thousands of years, Taoism philosophy has influenced the whole world. However, the studies of Taoism seldom touch upon its economic thoughts. This study fills in some blank area of research on the Taoism economic thoughts. Secondly, through an elaborate comparative study of the Taoism economic thoughts and the Western economic thoughts, the dissertation tries to analyze the pros and cons of Chinese and Western economic outlook, making a deep analysis and criticism of the effects that the Taoism economic thoughts exert on the progress of human society. Thirdly, the dissertation aims to put to use the Taoism economic thoughts to explain the economic problems emerging in the process of modernization, thus providing a strategic reference for the sustainable development of economy in both China and the world.