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Reviewed by Cassie Widjaja for Readers' Favorite
Tao: A New Interpretation by J Joseph Kazden interprets the Chinese Taoism sourcebook, the Tao Te Ching, written by Lao Tzu. Although it shares many characteristics with the Tao as imagined by Lao Tzu, Kazden's book differs in his use of scientific knowledge as the foundation of the relationship between his philosophy of the nature of observation and space-time and reality itself. Kazden focuses on the most prominent problem in quantum theory, which is called 'The Measurement Problem,' along with 'Non-locality' and 'Spooky Action at a Distance.' The argument states that there is a dichotomy of a consciousness born of biology, whose process fabricates an experience of reality.
When I first read this book, I had to admit that I was going in blind as I had never really read about Taoism before. Even without prior knowledge, I could easily understand the principle beliefs as J Joseph Kazden explained them clearly. With each short text, I gained a new and invaluable insight that will forever change the way I think. However, I was most drawn to the concept that duality only exists in our minds and not in reality. Almost everything we describe has an opposite, like how an ugly object indicates the existence of a beautiful object. On the other hand, Kazden says that the Tao is unified, which practically defies all I have learned before. To conclude, I would heartily recommend this book for anyone looking for valuable insights that will challenge their perception of reality and change how they think.
