Pursuit of “Emptiness” in Taoism and Seeking “Harmony” in Meditation: On the Taoist Thought in Paul Claudel’s Works
YANG Yang
Hunan Normal University
Page 083-096
Abstract: Paul Claudel was a famous French poet and playwright of the late 19th and the 20th centuries. He served as the French diplomat in China for 15 years. His living experiences in China marked his literary and poetic thoughts with a distinct Oriental imprint. Claudel admired Taoist philosophy, which not only influenced his outlook on life, but also penetrated into his poetry and dramatic creation. The poet extracted three central ideas from Taoist philosophy: the pursuit of Taoist emptiness, the Taoist meditation for non-action, and the unity of man with nature. He integrated the Taoist wisdom into his literary creation, which made his works not only exotic, but also manifested the charm of Taoist philosophy. Claudel’s interaction with Taoist thought was an attempt to integrate oriental aesthetics into the Christian spirit and forge a model of literary communication between the East and the West in the 20th century.
Keywords: Paul Claudel, Taoist philosophy, Chinese themes, Lao Tzu
DOI: 10.53397/hunnu.jflc.202601007
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