The Modern Reception and Interpretation of Daoism in East Asia and the West: A Comparative Perspective (19th–21st Centuries)

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which addresses a topic of growing contemporary relevance: the comparative significance, role, and interpretations of Daoism in both East Asian and Western modern thought. Despite its profound philosophical and religious heritage, Daoism continues to be misunderstood in the West, often being conflated into a singular framework that merges its philosophy, religious traditions, and longevity- or immortality-seeking practices. A critical gap remains in evaluating how Daoist philosophy—rooted in ancient China—has been understood in Western existentialist thought, such as in the works of Martin Heidegger. The level of awareness and comprehension of Daoist nuances among Western thinkers has often been taken at face value, without sufficient scrutiny. Similarly, in East–West intercultural studies, the challenges of Daoism for East Asian intellectuals attempting to synthesize Eastern and Western spiritual traditions into new societal models, as seen in the work of scholars like Kang Youwei, are often not sufficiently taken into account. Modern interpretations of Daoism are often examined in isolation, without a comprehensive dialogue between Western and East Asian perspectives. Yet, Daoism has continued to play a significant role in modern intellectual discourse, from Sun Yat-sen to 20th- and 21st-century philosophers, politicians, and scientists in China, Korea, and Japan. Another concern is the oversimplification of Daoism, where it is frequently reduced to an esoteric "health philosophy" or associated with supernatural martial arts techniques, as popularized in Western and Asian pop culture and cinema since the countercultural movements of the 20th century. These representations often bear little connection to the original Daoist teachings. Furthermore, the true influence of Daoism on Western modern science—including its potential intersections with quantum mechanics—remains largely unexplored. Likewise, its impact on 20th- and 21st-century East Asian philosophy, including its role in Chinese Marxist dialectical studies, has not yet received sufficient scholarly attention. This Special Issue seeks to address these gaps by fostering a deeper, interdisciplinary exploration of Daoism’s evolving role in global intellectual history. We welcome contributions that engage with these themes from historical, philosophical, religious, and cultural perspectives.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

• Esoteric interpretations of Daoist alchemy in the West and the East;
• The integration of Daoism in the works of modernization theorists of East Asian societies;
• Interpretations of Daoism in Western philosophy and popular culture;
• The connection of Daoism with East Asian dialectical philosophy and its reception in East Asian Marxist works;
• Evaluations of the role of Daoism in Western exact sciences.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200-300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, Prof. Dr. Kaspars Klavins ([email protected]), and CC the Assistant Editor, Margaret Liu ([email protected]) of Religions. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

A tentative timeline:
Deadline for abstract submission: 1 May 2025
Deadline for full manuscript submission: 1 October 2025

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Kaspars Klavins
Dr. Lihua Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• daoism
• philosophy
• existentialism
• dialectics
• alchemy
• modernization
• science
• spirituality