The tao of Lao Tzu and yin-yang in the "I Ching"'s Ten Wings with special reference to contemporary crises

Tao and yin-yang are the basis of Chinese philosophy, culture, tradition, and civilization. The term Tao is taken from Lao Tzu's book, Tao Te Ching (or the Lao Tzu ); yin-yang is taken from the Ten Wings (Confucian commentary) in the I Ching . My research explores the validity, efficacy, and function of Tao and the importance of the balance of yin and yang , especially as they relate to understanding contemporary world crises. Appendix A is my English translation of the Tao Te Ching . Appendix B shows how physicists' views have changed from matter-energy dualism to yin-yang interplay. The essence of Tao is non-being; the function of Tao is weakness; the movement of Tao is reversal. The principle of Tao is hsü --humility, emptiness, non-being. The hsü of Tao can enhance the balance and harmony (ho ) of yin and yang . Lao Tzu declares that Tao is the Origin of the Universe, and scientific facts prove his claim. Lao Tzu is famous for his contrarian philosophy, which embraces qualities such as weakness, humility, emptiness, softness, desirelessness, simplicity, and ignorance. Lao Tzu emphasized the "natural way" in all things and adopted wu-wei (non-action) as a basic principle. His message to live in harmony with Nature is desperately needed today. For clarification of the meanings inherent in the terms Tao and yi-yang , I include, by way of comparison, a discussion of the Western philosophies incorporated in the concepts of Plato's The Form of the Good , Descartes' mind-body dualism , and Kant's thing-in-itself . In this dissertation, I clarify and expand on several principles: (a) Tao is the essence of the Universe; (b) Tao is the Origin, the primal mover, and the sustainer of the Universe; and (c) Tao is a non-dualistic and holistic view of the Universe, consisting of yin and yang , two seemingly opposing but interdependent, interconnected, interpenetrating, complementary forces or dipoles, which show the radical Oneness of Tao. I also discuss how the concepts of Tao and yin-yang can be used to understand contemporary world crises.