Talk:Wu wei

message: The sourced Taoism section I've started includes passages taken from the Guanzi and Neiye pages.FourLights (talk) 00:37, 27 January 2019 (UTC)
replies: text: Coming to this article for the first time, I am greatly puzzled. I know of wu wei from its Taoist usage, and this usage dominates much of the article. Yet the main sections on this and Confucianism take the view that Confucius got there first. No sources in support of this understanding are cited. Since all the early sources appeared in the historical record at much the same time, and there is a long history of Confucian suppression of Daoism, why does the article take this unverified view? It makes no sense to me. — Cheers, Steelpillow (Talk) 19:35, 24 June 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  Taoism section note 

message: At the end of the Modern section, the bit about David H. Li feels like it doesn’t quite belong in this spot as it discusses ”Tao” rather than “Wu Wei”.  That said, it does have some relevance in terms of describing the difficulties involved with translation, but I’m not sure it’s in the right place. Perhaps there is a more appropriate placement?
The difficulty in translation is fascinating—would it be appropriate to create its own section? Either in this article on Wu Wei or perhaps in the article on Tao?
The section could be expanded by suggesting that multiple translations can sometimes be helpful, and as an example discussing the first verse of Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, which reads, “The Tao that can Tao is not Tao” and then offering various translations, such as:
The name that can be named is not the Name
The path that can be walked is not the Path
The word that can be spoken is not the Word
This verse, in addition to providing a prime example of nuances in translation, speaks directly to what Li is quoted as saying. As soon as one has named (or even conceptualized) “Tao”, that name (or concept) is not actually Tao; rather, the name is a symbol (and the concept a convention, both) used to point at—to represent—Tao. The word and the concept are not in and of themselves the Tao they represent. Likewise in Li’s example, Tao is more aptly translated as “direction” rather than “way” as it leaves the possibility of flowing with the Tao open to many paths instead of only one “way” which, once expressed, is not the Way but rather one possible way of flowing in the Direction that is the Tao. 2604:2D80:6E04:8100:4150:664E:58A0:EA09 (talk) 20:40, 26 August 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  David H. Li reference in Modern section 

message: "... it is the not the way to rule."
Hmmm... 198.90.81.190 (talk) 13:31, 17 March 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: It may well be a typo, but it is in a direct quote and the quote isn't visible in the citation tag, so it's unclear whether the editor who added it made a typo or the person being quoted made a grammatical error. So I marked it with the  template. Thanks for spotting it. Good catch. A. Randomdude0000 (talk) 17:55, 17 March 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Typo? 

message: I would intend to ultimately reduce the details of this article, in particular in relation to Legalism, but it's details would essentially be consolidated for the Legalism page first. One can request a priority for this article as desired. Then there are other practical commentaries that could be added. In terms of other materials, I have less thought of at the moment.FourLights (talk) 14:31, 5 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: If you'd like help particularly with the Zhuangzi part, that's definitely an article where I feel like I can almost approach your level of diligent research. :) Remsense诉 14:19, 6 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: I will prioritize that, but it will mean less work on reducing the rest.FourLights (talk) 15:59, 6 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: Oh, take your time! Just poke me when you get around to it, I've got plenty of plates in the air myself. Remsense诉 16:00, 6 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: I will be busy with work the next couple days, but I will still write this. How quickly I would find additional source commentaries on the wuwei of the Zhuangzi is another question.FourLights (talk) 18:56, 7 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: You're just looking for sources about the treatment of wu wei in the Zhuangzi? I can put together a list for you if you'd like/ Remsense诉 19:31, 7 March 2024 (UTC)
replies: text: That would be helpful, since that is what you requested a project on to start.FourLights (talk) 01:49, 10 March 2024 (UTC)

text: Edward Stringerland has some material on a parable from the Zhuangzi I can use to write about Wu Wei. It will be very difficult.FourLights (talk) 09:14, 23 April 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  reduction 

message: I'll try to locate commentary on the content of the excavated Laozi for prominent discussion, but it won't actually effect the other texts since they don't appear to make use of it.FourLights (talk) 01:58, 7 March 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  laozi dating