# Stoicism and Daoism: A Comparison  ## Metadata - Author: [[Massimo Pigliucci]] - Full Title: Stoicism and Daoism: A Comparison - Category: #articles - Document Tags: [[medium]] - URL: https://medium.com/the-philosophers-stone/stoicism-and-daoism-a-comparison-a240625ad1d3 ## Highlights - One important difference between Daoism and Stoicism lies in the fact that perspective-taking in Daoism aims at ming, translated as the illumination of the obvious. The way one does this is by emptying one’s mind and letting go of things, attempting to clear the “tangled weeds” that according to Zhuangzi clog our mind and blind us to what would otherwise be obvious features of the world. Stoic mindfulness, by contrast, focuses on things, paying particular attention to what we are doing here and now. There is no concept in Stoicism of emptying one’s mind, because that would be equivalent to emptying ourselves of who we are. - Wang presents us with some similarity, and yet some difference with Stoicism: “The Daoist way cultivates the habit of embracing experience immediately, on its own terms, and without preconceptions. Zhuangzi suggests that our mind is like the mirror in stillness and the echo in responding. It focuses on removing judgments and obstacles caused by emotions while endorsing acuity.”Stoics here agree with part but not the whole of the Daoist approach: yes, we should be wary of our own preconceptions, “impressions” as the Stoics call them. As well as of our emotional attachment to such preconceptions. But then we should very much apply our judgments to such impressions, and arrive at a rational assessment of them, to see whether they are correct or they need to be rejected. - Stoicism does not quite have a notion analogous to shi, but Epictetus does say that we should understand the roles we play in life and play them at our best, though Epictetus’ emphasis is on duty, not as much on choice (or, to be more precise, on the duties stemming from our own choices). - here is another contrast between the two philosophies. Wang states: “The body is a central space for Daoists to occupy. Often ignored, the body is the most basic, manageable, and beneficial resource we possess. Like a garden with various plants, the body needs cultivation and nourishment in order to thrive. The body is fundamentally connected to growth and change, yet brings a wider range of uncertainties to our expectations and the way of living.” The Stoics, by contrast, see the body as a preferred indifferent, as something that should be cultivated because it allows us to navigate life, but that is not who we truly are. That is our prohairesis, our conscious will, our ability to make decisions, which, accordingly, is the central focus of Epictetus’ practice.