Predication and Opposition in Dào Dé Jīng, Thought Experimental Analyses of (e.g.) 道可道非常道 (II)-Maternalism and Ecofeminism

Abstract

The Dao that gives birth to all things
Is empty and eternal like the God of Valley,
It is called mysterious maternity.
The birth gate of the mystic mother's fertility ( _DDJ_ Ch. 6 - trans. Donia Zhang 2022)

In this paper we discuss the many pairs of opposites in _Dào Dé Jīng_ ( _DDJ_ ), such as long vs. short, give vs. take, misfortune vs. good fortune. We propose classical logical analyses, applying predicate logic, completing enthymematic statements, quite often containing a seeming opposition (e.g. Dao or not-Dao), to logically valid arguments as by revealing missing part of argument (cf. explicitating of an aspect e.g. Wittgenstein 1953) and modal logical analyses, preferably applying Kripke-style triple models on a descriptive semantic view, covering possibly metaphysical and religious interpretations.

_Wúwéi_ (無為) and its paradoxes could be analyzed as double negation resulting in only seeming contradictions and univocal tautologies as on translation of "non-action contrary to nature" (Donia Zhang 2022) instead of mystifying adagial advices, that could be understood as an ecological mantra nowadays.

We survey a couple of ecological readings of _DDJ_ and _wuwei_ . Jinghui Wang understands _wúwéi_ with help of a water metaphor (from Ch. 8 water "is closest to Dao"), calling for a "harmonious orchestra with nature." Ellen Zhang discusses "greening" of Daoism, translating _wúwéi_ as "acting naturally," and proposes an interpretative reconstruction of _ziran-wúwéi_ ethics as a wakeup call in the face of an ecological crisis.

We discuss ecofeminism-coined by Françoise d'Eaubonne as "an attempt to synthesis of feminism and ecology"-from an account of Qingqi Wei, emphasizing the _yīn_ commending feminine androgynous aspect of _DDJ_ , considering holism and intuitive thinking of _DDJ_ antithetic to science and technology and in fitting with broader rationality of ecofeminism as mutualist, reciprocal, intersectionalist (e.g. Stacy Alaimo's "trans-corporeality"), which, however-at least on our account -may remain in tune with binary logic as far as for the Chinese _yīn_ and _yáng_ are more than only a basic pair of opposites and don't exclude reconciliation of opposites, such as, male and female, nature and culture etc. (Wei 2018: 781).