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Taoism and Western Culture

Learn the fundamentals of Taoism and how to apply it with this free online course.

8,892 enrolled on this course

Taoism symbol in western street
  • Duration

    4 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Taoism, although its origins lie in Ancient China, has a far ranging global influence even to this day. Laozi offered inexhaustible truth for everything on earth in just 5,000 words. Taoism also enjoys equal popularity with the bible. On this course we’ll explore exactly how Taoism is being applied in today’s world.

Understand Taoism across the world

As Taoism has spread it’s been interpreted in many different ways. We’ll have a look at how European and Western cultures are using and applying the various beliefs of Taoism. Plus we’ll learn more about one of the key texts about Taoism: Lao Zi, the Chinese cultural epic.

Learn about Taoism in a variety of ways

Throughout the course you’ll learn about Taoism through vivid and interesting examples and different types of media helping you to explore Taoism fully.

Explore how to apply Taoism

In a hectic modern world full of distraction applying Taoism might seem difficult. This course will offer you some hints and tips on how to apply Taoism in modern society and benefit from the truth Taoism has to offer.

What topics will you cover?

  • An American professor’s vision of the Dao De Jing
  • Dao De Jing in the west
  • The influence of Taoism on European culture
  • Taoism and technoetic art

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Interpret some rudimentary knowledge of the Dao De Jing
  • Describe some initiatory differences between the Dao De Jing and western culture
  • Demonstrate how the Dao De Jing was and is translated, understood, accepted and applied in the west
  • Lead the way for the study of the systematic Taoist theories and their applications in the future stages

Who is the course for?

There are no special requirements for this course but an enthusiasm for discovering new ways of thinking might be useful.

Who will you learn with?

Ph.D., Professor & former director, Institute of World Literature of Peking University,Co-President of the International Association for Comparative Studies of China and the West (IACSCW).

Who developed the course?

DeTao Masters Academy

DeTao Masters Academy (DeTao) is a world class educational organization focusing on innovation and the revolution of education, devoted to new education models that go beyond conventional approaches.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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