Daoist Studies

 

Until the present day, the study of "Daoism" (Taoism) has been equated with the study of Chinese culture, history, and religion, and the field of Daoist Studies (Taoist Studies) has been dominated by a "Sinological approach". When one considers the history of this still-emerging field, the reasons for the dominance of certain defining questions and concerns are obvious. The study of Daoism originated in English, French, and Japanese colonial interests in China, and the early history of Daoist Studies was similarly dominated by French and Japanese Sinology. This was followed by the "discovery" of Daoism by American Sinology (modeled on its French counterpart) and, more recently, by Chinese historians themselves. These interpretative traditions have established not only a host of mandated skill-sets but also dominant evaluative criteria. Moreover, they express and have helped to maintain the elite status of certain institutions and their graduates, specifically those of East Asian Languages and Civilizations departments, in academic discourse concerning Daoism. Few thus far have questioned the hegemonic standing of a Sinological approach to Daoist Studies, or the reduction of the Daoist religious tradition(s), Daoist communities and practitioners and their religious expressions, to data for the study of Chinese culture and history. 

The Sinological approach to Daoist Studies emphasizes the importance of Daoism for increasing knowledge of Chinese culture and history. For this, the would-be scholar of Daoism must dedicate himself or herself to acquiring specific linguistic skills; emphasis is placed on the ability to read primary source material (Daoist scriptures, epigraphy, hagiographies, historical documents, gazetteers, and so forth). This must be complemented with a comprehensive knowledge of other relevant Chinese historical and cultural phenomena, as well as secondary scholarship written in Chinese, English, French, German, and Japanese. For such scholarship to be taken seriously and evaluated in a positive light, conventional and pre-patterned models must be adhered to and must be easily identifiable.  

However, the cultural constructs, methodological approaches, and academic control exerted by representatives of the Sinological position have not only increased our understanding of Daoism - they have also limited our understanding.

Daoism is a Chinese religious tradition which has been continually modified and transformed for some two thousand years and which is currently being transmitted and adapted to a global context. Daoism is no longer simply a Chinese religious tradition; it is now a global religious and cultural phenomenon, existing in Brazil, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam and practiced by people of a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. It is also slowly becoming established in the United States in various forms, with varying degrees of connection with the earlier Chinese religious tradition.

Daoist Studies, conventionally associated with Sinology, textual study and Chinese area studies, is now expanding to include other theoretical and methodological approaches: anthropology, archaeology, comparative religion, cultural studies, intellectual history, material culture studies, philosophy, sociology, women's studies, and so forth. Daoist Studies may no longer be equated with or encompassed by the study of "Chinese religions".  The field of Daoist Studies recognizes Daoism as a religious tradition worthy of independent research; Daoist practitioners and communities cannot be reduced to data for the study of Chinese culture, history, or religion.

As yet, alternative interpretative approaches to Daoist Studies either have not been proposed or are in initial stages of development. The most prevalent alternative model, which is usually dismissed or ignored by historians of Chinese Daoism, centers on intellectual history. Representatives of this model often present their research in terms of "comparative philosophy", focusing on classical Daoist texts, specifically the Daode jing and Zhuangzi, in terms of "thought" and "thinking". While intellectual history has some important things to say about the ways in which "Daoism" has been understood and constructed, like comparative philosophy it fails to consider Daoism for what it is, a global religious tradition with radically different visions of the human condition. That is, reducing Daoism to an "intellectual" or "philosophical" tradition and studying it as a system of "thought" involves a process of domestication and colonization. In addition, it often presupposes an antiquated and inaccurate interpretation of Daoism in terms of an original, pure "philosophical Daoism" that is wholly different from later "religious Daoism".

Recently, a new model based on comparative religious studies has begun to be utilized and explored. The comparative religious studies model, as yet not fully developed, focuses on Daoism as a religious tradition deserving of independent study and not reducible to data for the study of Chinese history and culture. In terms of secondary scholarship, this comparative model utilizes various theoretical and methodological insights developed in the interdisciplinary study of religion. Broader issues derived from and applicable to the comparative study of religion play a central role in this approach. Specifically, one might concentrate on anomalous experiences, death and immortality, ecology, funeral practices, gender issues, hermeneutics, medical therapies, monasticism, ritual, spiritual technologies, views of self, and so forth. 

For the field of Daoist Studies to continue to expand and develop, and to more fully accomplish its stated aim of deepening knowledge and understanding of Daoism in all of its diversity and complexity, space must be made for new possibilities. Mutual respect and appreciation among scholars will help to ensure both a fuller appreciation of the Daoist tradition (Daoist practitioners and communities and their religious expressions) and a more comprehensive orientation in Daoist Studies.