If a philosopher tells me that he knows the key to happiness, my first reaction is to examine his life. Has he achieved a solid financial situation or is he impoverished? Does he have worthy friends or does he associate with people of questionable ethics? I regard the art of living as a simplified, hands-on…

Readers may be surprised to learn that Lao-Tzu did not care about happiness. Neither did Yang-Tzu and Chuang-Tzu. Their philosophy aims at doing what needs to be done in every case, on the assumption that good actions will breed a good outcome and that happiness will ensure as a side effect. For this reason, I…

We do not have the exact birth and death dates for Lao-Tzu, but according to the tradition, he lived a couple of generations earlier than Socrates (469-399 BC). The philosophical ideas of Socrates partially overlap with those of Lao-Tzu. I find it particularly interesting to compare their views on the spiritual aspects of philosophy. Taoism…

Some people abhor organized religion because they find its rituals empty and its promises questionable. They don’t want to join any church because they dislike being told what to do and how to pursue happiness. Nonetheless, they feel a certain need for spirituality, or at the very least, a need for philosophy. Taoists perform rituals,…

There are many Taoists around us, I mean, Taoists living in Western culture. However, they are, for the most part, invisible to the untrained eye. They don’t propagandize their philosophy. They do not proselytise or engage in debates. They do not wear special clothes, signs or distinctions. Taoists remain invisible because they put into practice…

Amidst economic crises, unemployment, inflation, violence, and social decay, many people may feel tempted to discard the teachings of Lao-Tzu as too idealistic. They argue that Taoism was a workable philosophy twenty-five centuries ago, but not any more because today’s environment is too hostile. Really? I reply to them that Taoism is particularly effective in…