The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast Episode 12: Chuang Tzu’s Taoism: What Is Wisdom?
Dec 6, 2009
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Daoism's Semantic Anti-Realism
- Philosophical Daoism believes in a metaphysical reality but is semantically anti-realist.
- They believe ultimate truth cannot be expressed through language.
Language as Differentiation
- Language is a tool for differentiation, creating distinctions like "this" and "that."
- Daoism suggests we must move beyond these linguistic distinctions to grasp the true nature of reality.
Relativism vs. Realism in Daoism
- Daoism adopts semantic relativism but maintains metaphysical realism.
- There's an underlying "Dao" with real qualities, even if language cannot fully capture it.