Inbal Piamenta Shamir and Galia Patt-Shamir

Living the Riddle of Dao according to the Great Learning (Daxue 大學)

Confucian philosophy is about life according to the Dao (Way道) as perfection beyond which there is no higher,the supreme truth, the sublime, or totality itself. Nonetheless, in the early Confucian texts, we learn that Dao is conditioned by the person who pursues it and, in addition, there is actually no attaining of the Dao, that is, it is not possible to live “according to it.” This article will question the possibility to merge with Dao and fully attain it. For this purpose, we turn to the early Confucian treatise The Great Learning (Da Xue 大學), which is considered a practical guide for progressing according to Dao. Following the enigmatic opening sentences in the treatise, we would like to suggest that it brings to light an enigma that is reaffirmed in the rest of the essay, leading to its astounding end.

The article presents a method that follows the Great Learning’s “three rules” for finding the Dao and realizing it,and “eight details” that present pivots for self-cultivation by a realization of Dao and even expanding it. While the essay seemingly reveals an orderly and clear method of a sequence of principles and steps that can be followed, internalized, and realized in personal and social development, a deeper interpretive look, as suggested by this article, indicates that living according to Dao faces the person with the question: Is it really possible to live, develop, and actually practice the ideal of the Dao? Can daily human actions revive and even expand the ideal? The article suggests that implied in the understanding of the philosophy of Dao is a riddle that is inherent to Confucian humanism: how can the unattainable and unrealizable be attained and realized? The article proposes to observe and understand the Dao of the Great Learningas a way of life whose foundation embodies an ongoing tension that is requiredfor its realization.

Tel-Aviv University

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Inbal Piamenta Shamir is a PhD candidate in the School of Philosophy at Tel Aviv University. Her dissertation explores Chinese philosophy and Confucian ethics as it appears in the Great Learning. Inbal has pursued her research interests in China for several years, and has a keen interest in deepening the teachings of Confucius in practice within Israeli cultural and educational spheres. Inbal also acts to promote the intercultural dialogue between Chinese and Israeli societies.

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Galia Patt-Shamir is professor in Chinese philosophy and Comparative Philosophy and Religion in Tel-Aviv University, in the Departments of Philosophy and of East-Asian Studies. She focuses on issues in Confucian humanism, applied philosophy, and dialogue among philosophical and religious traditions. Her publications include To Broaden the Way – A Confucian-Jewish Dialogue (2006); Adam l’Adam Chida – Human Nature in Chinese Thought (Hebrew, 2005); Adam Derech – Tongshu: Text and Commentary (Hebrew, 2016); Persons Emerging – Three Neo-Confucian Perspectives on Transcending Self-Boundaries (2022), and articles in various philosophical journals.