Chinese Educators' Intercultural Dialogue with the Dao De Jing and Macbeth: A Hermeneutic Inquiry

• Author / Creator

  Ye, Qian

•     The limited scholarship available on the incorporation of Shakespeare’s plays into an intercultural curriculum has led me to contemplate the prospects of fostering dialogue between Shakespeare and the wisdom traditions of Chinese Daoism in higher education within a globalized context. This research study specifically investigates the intercultural engagement with Macbeth by incorporating the understanding of Dao De Jing, facilitated by four Chinese educators and myself, drawing from our lived experiences. Through this examination, by fostering dialogues with these two texts, the study seeks to provide some insights into the implications for an intercultural curriculum. 
      This hermeneutic inquiry addresses two research questions: (1) In what ways do Chinese educators navigate intercultural experience with regard to the Dao De Jing and the reading of Macbeth? (2) What are the implications of Chinese educators’ intercultural reading experience of Macbeth with the Dao De Jing for an intercultural curriculum? 
      The study comprises nine chapters. Chapter One unfolds an autographical narrative detailing my lived experience in Daoism and educational background in Shakespearean studies, establishing my role as a “cultural insider” in the research endeavor. Chapter Two builds upon intercultural hermeneutic philosophy, drawing from Ram Adhar Mall’s (2000) analogous hermeneutics, J. J. Clarke’s (2000) hermeneutics of difference, and Zhang Longxi’s (1992) literary hermeneutics of cultural commensurability. The three scholars ground their theories in Hans Georg Gadamer’s (1975) philosophical concept of hermeneutic experience. Chapter Three provides a comprehensive literature review on intercultural engagement with Daoist philosophy and Shakespeare’s plays, providing a foundational understanding for the subsequent chapters. Chapter Four specifically discusses hermeneutic inquiry as the methodology guiding this research study. Chapter Five describes the research process and introduces participants involved, laying the foundation and initiating the exploration of both individual and collective intercultural reading experiences of two texts. Chapter Six is dedicated to addressing the first research question, which examines how Chinese educators navigate intercultural experience when incorporating the Dao De Jing into the reading experience of Macbeth. This chapter analyzes the paradoxical structure, hermeneutics of difference, and cultural commensurabilities present in both texts, shedding light on the complexities of the intercultural interpretation. Chapter Seven delves into hermeneutic curriculum theory and aesthetic curriculum theory, laying the curricular foundations for an intercultural curriculum. Chapter Eight addresses the second research question, examining the implications of Chinese educators’ intercultural reading experience of Macbeth with the Dao De Jing for an intercultural curriculum. This chapter elaborates on four implications: aesthetic receptions, non-anthropocentric worldview, self-reflection, and moving toward a poor curriculum. Chapter Nine serves as the conclusion, elaborating on the content and components of an intercultural curriculum that integrates the two texts. 
      Given the nature of hermeneutic inquiry, this study places significant emphasis on the reader experience, drawing upon Gadamer’s (1975) concept of “truth in art,” which underscores the necessity for the reader’s creative engagement with the text. Through hermeneutic writing, the intercultural reading experience of Macbeth and the Dao De Jing seeks to delve into and interpret how and what the two texts speak to us and resonate with us, from the shared and revealed ontological pointings. As a poetic endeavor, I maintain the conviction that participants’ speeches transcend the individual experiences, while delving into the deeper meaning of human existence and its intricate relationship with the world we inhabit. Additionally, within this poetic writing, this study seeks to encourage further communication from readers and educators to engage dialogically with the intercultural dialogue presented here.
  

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Macbeth
  • Dao De Jing
  • Intercultural hermeneutics
  • Intercultural reading experience
  • Gadamer
  • Curriculum

• Graduation date

  Fall 2024

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Philosophy

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-5br0-f077

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Library with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.