The Tao of the West : Western Transformations of Taoist Thought

Rating:
Summary: An antidote to the Tao of Pets
Review: An intriguing feature of modern western culture has been its readiness to play fast and loose with the elements of Chinese religion without really understanding or caring how they fit together. From yin-yang coffee tables to 'the Tao of Pets', this cultural appropriation is ubiquitous. J.J. Clarke has given us a timely and excellent discussion of the interface between Taoist and Western religion and philosophy, which should not to be confused with 'A Gathering of Cranes : Bringing the Tao to the West', to which it is vastly superior. What is particularly interesting about Clarke's work is its willingness to set the philosophy of Taoism firmly alongside western philosophical thought, and to consider the implications of their meeting. He begins by quoting Nietszche: 'what is needed is... new philosophers', and goes on to suggest that some of this newness might in fact be provided by age-old Taoism. While this is an academic and scholarly work, its clarity and readibility is such that I would have no hesitation in recommending it to undergraduate students of religion, or indeed to the interested general reader. However, here is probably not the best place to begin an understanding of Taoism as such. For this I would recommend Martin Palmer's 'The Elements of Taoism' or Isabelle Robinet's 'Taoism, Growth of a Religion'.