From Drama to Peace: A Taoist Reading of a Cross-Cultural Pathway

• In Event: Confucianism, Taoism, and Education: Wisdom and New Insights in Education

Abstract

The purpose of my presentation here is to understand the insights and wisdom Song has achieved in his cross-cultural journey and illuminate what it means to educate and to be educated from a Taoist lens. Contrary to the rhetoric of educational reform both in the US and in China which are essentially framed in instrumentality and competitive mentality couched in the language of globalization, Song’s journey raises serious questions about the role of life energy beyond instrumental reason, spirituality, and playfulness in what we pursue in education.Song’s disenchantment with “truth” and his return to “being” demonstrates a Taoist pathway of returning to peace and teaches us important lessons about life and education.

Author

• Hongyu Wang, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa