Taoism

“Taoism” is an earlier way of spelling “Daoism,” or the “tradition of the Dao” (daotong 道統). It derives from the Wade-Giles romanization system, whereas Daoism comes from the more recent Pinyin romanization system. Both approximate various Daoist terms that contain dao 道 (tao) in them. “Taoism” refers to an indigenous Chinese religious tradition, which has now become a global religion. A distinction must be made between the historical contours and defining characteristics of the Daoist religious tradition and various popular Western misrepresentations and constructions of “Daoism.”

Some scholars of Daoism prefer to use “Taoism” or “Taoist” to designate the indigenous Chinese religious tradition. There are a variety of motivations and justifications for such a choice, none of which hold up to critical scrutiny. One argument is that “Taoism” is more common and recognizable, and possibly more helpful in selling books. Another perspective suggests that the Western category “Taoism” (and “Daoism”) has no indigenous correlate in Chinese language and culture. However, from at least the second century BCE, Daoists employed a variety of Chinese terms, all of which contain dao 道 in them, to refer to their religious tradition. The scholarly usage of “Taoism” leads to confusion because many recent publications simultaneously use “Taoism” and the Pinyin romanization system.

Further Reading: Daoism: A Short Introduction/James Miller; Daoism and Chinese Culture/Livia Kohn; Daoism Handbook/Livia Kohn (ed.); Daoist Identity/Livia Kohn and Harold Roth (eds.); Daoism in China/Wang Yi’e; Taoism: The Enduring Tradition/Russell Kirkland; “The Dao of America”/Elijah Siegler; “The Taoism of the Western Imagination and the Taoism of China”/Russell Kirkland; “Tracing the Contours of Daoism in North America”/Louis Komjathy.

See also Adherent, American Daoism, Americanization, Dao, Daoist (Historical), Daoist (Normative), Popular Western Taoism, Sympathizer and the entries on Daoism.