The purpose of this paper is to understand the relation of Tao(道) with the ethical teachings through research into Ge Hong(葛洪)‘ writings. Ge is known as a person who has gathered a comprehensive compilation of ancient Taoism, and his main two writings are Baopuzi(『抱朴子』) and Shenxian zhuan(『神仙傳』).
Papuzi is a book about how to be a divine transcendent(神仙), while Shenxian zhuan is the biographies of 84 divine transcendent. But it is my concern regarding these books Ge is maintaining with unshaken conviction the belief that whoever wants to be a divine transcendent has to practice many good works. We can find main moral principles and many concrete moral norms in these books. Some of the characteristics appear as follows:
First of all, these books include the ethical attitude of individuals, moral acts for others (social ethics), and the moral condition, as these are general ethics.
Secondly, we can find the emphasis on the individual’s will. As it is impossible to be a divine transcendent in dependence on money, power or sacrifice to gods, so it is the individual’s will to realize moral actions as a necessary to be a divine transcendent.
Thirdly, it is the weak such as the poor, sick, widows, orphans, and the needy which most divine transcendent give much consideration. And individuals such as these became divine transcendent. So we can see in these books thoughtful consideration given to people of feeble strength.
Fourthly, the norms are reflected in the concrete social context of those days. Ge had keen insight into social problems, and we can read about that in the second volume of Baopuzi.
Lastly, the most remarkable characteristic of the moral norms of these books is their thoroughness and genuineness. Ge suggested that whoever wants to be a heavenly divine transcendent (天仙) have to perform 1,200 good works. Incredible if a person completed 1,199 good works, but then committed a wicked act, all good works become ineffective and must be started over.
I have made an attempt to analyze these principles and norms with the structure of practical justification that is suggested by David Little and Sumner B. Twiss as the method of religious ethics. All the moral principles and norms are justified by Tao (or the one[一]) as the Ultimate Reality of Taoism. However, the latter is a religious belief which no matter of factual proof. As it is, the relation of Dao with the ethical norms in Daoism is that of religious belief and ethical practice.
Even if all norms of Paopuzi are justified by religious beliefs, a lot of them is needed in modern societies and are possible to practice in contemporary context. Therefore, if we make the list of desirable moral norms for our multi-religious society, a great number of them will be included in it. This is why I have attempted to understand the ethical teachings of ancient Taoism.