Daoism and Global Wisdom Traditions

“Daoism and Global Wisdom Traditions” is designed for university or lifelong learners. It covers foundational Daoist philosophy and situates it within a comparative, cross-cultural framework. The course includes lecture topics, readings, assignments, and activities.


📘 Course Title: Daoism and Global Wisdom Traditions: A Comparative Journey into Philosophy, Practice, and Cosmology


🎯 Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Understand the foundational texts and concepts of Daoism.
  • Compare Daoist teachings with other global wisdom traditions (e.g., Buddhism, Stoicism, Indigenous philosophies, Sufism).
  • Reflect on the ethical, metaphysical, and spiritual implications of different worldviews.
  • Apply insights from these traditions to modern life, ecology, and personal development.


🕰️ Course Duration:

12 Weeks (adjustable for semester or quarter systems)


🗂️ Course Modules:

Week 1 – Introduction to Wisdom Traditions

  • Themes: What are wisdom traditions? Living philosophies vs academic systems.
  • Readings: Selections from Huston Smith’s The World’s Religions
  • Assignment: Personal reflection on “What is wisdom?”

Week 2 – Foundations of Daoism

  • Themes: The Dao, Wu Wei, Yin-Yang, Ziran
  • Readings: Dao De Jing (Chapters 1–20), excerpts from Zhuangzi
  • Activity: Guided meditation on stillness and spontaneity

Week 3 – Indigenous Earth-Based Wisdom

  • Themes: Animism, relational worldview, cyclical time
  • Case Studies: Navajo cosmology, Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime
  • Compare with Daoist views of nature and change

Week 4 – Daoism and the Body

  • Themes: Qi, health, movement, internal alchemy
  • Practices: Intro to Qi Gong or Tai Chi
  • Readings: Selections from The Secret of the Golden Flower

Week 5 – Stoicism and Daoism

  • Themes: Non-attachment, virtue, fate, nature
  • Readings: Epictetus Enchiridion, Marcus Aurelius Meditations
  • Compare: Stoic apatheia vs Daoist wu wei

Week 6 – Daoism and Buddhism

  • Themes: Emptiness, non-self, detachment
  • Focus: Chan (Zen) Buddhism and its Daoist roots
  • Activity: Silent sitting meditation, Koan reflection

Week 7 – Sufism and Mystical Islam

  • Themes: Unity, surrender, divine love, ineffability
  • Readings: Rumi poems, Al-Ghazali on the Heart
  • Compare: Sufi tawhid vs Daoist oneness of the Dao

Week 8 – African Wisdom Traditions

  • Themes: Community, spirit, destiny, initiation
  • Focus: Yoruba cosmology (Orisha), Ubuntu philosophy
  • Compare: Destiny and natural order in Yoruba & Daoist cosmologies

Week 9 – Jewish and Christian Mysticism

  • Themes: The ineffable God, silence, inwardness
  • Readings: The Cloud of Unknowing, excerpts from Kabbalah
  • Discussion: Apophatic theology vs Daoist unknowability

Week 10 – Daoism and Ecology

  • Themes: Harmony with nature, deep ecology, interbeing
  • Case Study: Daoism and eco-philosophy (Capra, Naess)
  • Project: “Living the Dao”—personal ecological ethic

Week 11 – Modern Encounters: East Meets West

  • Themes: Translations, interpretations, and distortions
  • Case Studies: Alan Watts, Ursula Le Guin, Carl Jung
  • Debate: Appropriation vs cross-cultural fertilization

Week 12 – Integration and Synthesis

  • Activity: Student presentations: “Wisdom Across Borders”
  • Reflection: Final discussion circle on what it means to live wisely today
  • Final Essay: Comparative analysis of two traditions or a practical synthesis


📚 Core Texts:

  • Dao De Jing – Laozi
  • Zhuangzi – Zhuang Zhou
  • The World’s Wisdom – Philip Novak
  • The Way and Its Power – Ursula Le Guin (translation of DDJ)
  • The Enchiridion – Epictetus
  • The Essential Rumi – trans. Coleman Barks


🎓 Assessment:

  • Weekly reflections/journals
  • Comparative essays (midterm + final)
  • Participation in discussions and embodiment practices
  • Final creative or research project