The Factual and Value-Oriented Nature of Chinese Taoist Philosophy of Heart-Mind

Abstract

Taoist philosophy of heart-mind explores the nature of mind and psychological phenomena with a factual nature and guides the possibility and practical path of the sage with a value-oriented nature, and realizes the unity of the two in exploring the nature of mind and transcendence. In terms of factual nature, Taoism takes “Tao” as the metaphysical foundation and “qi” as the material basis, emphasizing the emptiness, stillness, non-action, and natural authenticity of the heart-mind, thus realizing a holistic understanding of the nature and functions of the heart-mind. In the value-oriented nature, Taoism takes “becoming a sage” as its goal, affirming the innateness and universality of Tao, believing that everyone can become a sage, and advocating that through “positive and negative cultivation”, we can remove the obscurations of innate endowments and return to the innate state. It also advocates that through “positive and negative cultivation”, the obscurations of the acquired should be removed, and the mind should be returned to the innate endowments, so as to realize the transformation from the “ordinary heart-mind” to the “sage’s heart-mind”. By encompassing both factual and value-oriented, Taoist philosophy of heart-mind offers a distinctive framework for contemporary philosophy of mind, expands the scope of psychological phenomena, and provides a holistic, non-dualistic alternative to mainstream naturalistic approaches. It thus opens new pathways for addressing the “problem of meaning” and advancing cross-cultural dialogue in the philosophy of mind.