Can ChatGPT Accurately Teach Philosophy?
Part 2
Part 2
I’ve been a Taoist for five years and as my friends would say, I know some things about it. So, I asked ChatGPT to generate a 1500 word article describing the top 10 Taoist concepts. In my first article, I explored and explained the first five which you can find below.
Can ChatGPT Accurately Teach Ancient Chinese Philosophy?
SPOILER: Mehthetaoist.online
Today, however, I want to explore the final five ideas and discuss my thoughts about AI as a source of philosophical and religious information.
Let’s get started.
6. Qi (Chi)
Qi, or Chi, is the vital energy that flows through all living things. It’s believed to be part of everything that exists, tying into the inter-connectedness of the universe. Taoism often involves practices related to the cultivation and balance of Qi, such as Qigong, martial arts, and traditional Chinese medicine.
Qi is essential to Taoism, especially for the more religious and supernatural aspects. Most Westerners who disregard the concepts of gods and immortality, try to ignore Qi and instead think of it as your natural electrical energy coursing through your body.
I consider Qi to be life itself. Without Qi, you die. If you don’t believe in Qi, consider the following exercise. Walk through the grass with your shoes on, and then walk through the same grass barefoot. Stand in the sun with a hat on, then stand in the same spot with your hat off. Now, when you didn’t make contact with nature above and below you, did you feel differently? Have you sat inside for days and then returned to the outdoors on a sunny day? Did you feel differently? I’m not discussing temperatures, such as the HEAT from the sun or the COLD from the grass. Instead, I’m talking about something you can’t put into words. That is to say, what you FEEL. That feeling is Qi.
Taoists believe we can harness this energy from Tao itself. Some would say we can exist on ONLY Qi energy to live well beyond a regular lifespan and become immortal, but see point eight for more.
ChatGPT Score: A-
7. The Five Elements
The Five Elements, or Wu Xing, in Taoism are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. These elements are viewed as fundamental aspects of the material world, and each has associated characteristics and symbolic meanings. They are thought to be in constant interaction and cyclical change, affecting everything from the human body to the changing seasons.
My introduction to the five elements was in a Qigong form taught me by George Thompson, a Taoist teacher. The explanation above is correct that each element is fundamental as there are several body movements and thoughts about each. These elements play a part in Yin and Yang. To better understand the elements and their role, imagine you broke apart a cell in your body. You would find DNA, atoms, molecules, and more. So, too are the five elements part of Yin and Yang. They can not be removed because they are Yin Yang. But when you look at Yin Yang, you don’t see the elements at first glance. You need to go deeper.
Again correctly stated by the AI, the interplay of the elements affects everything and anything.
ChatGPT Score: A
8. Immortality and Longevity
In Taoist thought, immortality does not necessarily refer to a physical state of living forever. Instead, it’s about reaching a state of perfect harmony with Tao, leading to spiritual transcendence. Practices such as meditation, Qi cultivation, and alchemy are used in pursuit of this goal.
Inside my Taoism online groups (yes, those exist), I have heard so many debates on immortality and Qi cultivation. The answer to this question generally relies on which Taoist school of thought you fall into. Some fully expect to live forever in a physical body. Other schools believe in spiritual immortality, more in line with Buddhism, while others believe in a heaven-like place.
While ChatGPT correctly lists the concept as necessary, it takes the more spiritual/metaphorical approach, which isn’t in line with my personal beliefs on Qi, so I don’t fully appreciate the answer.
ChatGPT Score: B
9. De (Virtue)
De is the inherent characteristic or inner power which allows each thing to be what it is. For humans, De can be seen as moral character or virtue that arises naturally when one is in harmony with the Tao. It involves maintaining humaneness, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and integrity.
I’m not going to lie; this is the worst answer it could have given, but it is, unfortunately, the one you’ll find most often online, which explains its appearance here.
The most confusing concept in Taoism for me is that of De, often spelled Te. My confusion started due to the translation into “virtue” and the Western definition. First, virtue, as defined by ChatGPT, means the following:
Virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. (highlights are mine)
This definition is not the same as De because De does not contain morality. I’ve written on this before, but Tao isn’t moral. It does not include right and wrong or good and evil. This is because no one can know the outcome of any one action. Your good is someone else’s evil. Your evil is someone else’s good. Therefore, we know morality is a manufactured construct based on our definitions of good and bad. This is not De.
Does the water not give to a villain the same as it gives to the hero? Does the sun not shine on both equally?
De, in Taoism, can be more accurately translated to “inherent character, inner power, integrity.” The absence of morality is the crucial difference. Have you ever seen a movie where the villain has a strict code of ethics? They have integrity while still murdering people. While we would not define them as a virtuous person in the West, we would define them as having De.
ChatGPT Score: D
10. Taoist Texts (Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi)
The Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way and its Power) and the Zhuangzi are the two foundational texts of Taoist philosophy. They embody profound wisdom and teach the principles of Tao, Yin and Yang, Wu Wei, and other Taoist concepts, using parables, analogies, and aphorisms.
It doesn’t get much simpler than listing two books. Yes, I agree Tao Te Ching and Zhuangzi are the two foundational texts of Taoism. So while I asked for concepts, I don’t disagree reading is important. The answer is strange, and I’m unsure why it listed them here.
As for how the texts are described and the concepts listed inside them, I agree. So, I’m not sure how I should grade this answer.
On the one hand, I agree with what I got, but I didn’t ask for texts!
ChatGPT Score: C
To answer my question, can ChatGPT accurately teach philosophy? No, but why not?
Because the AI is missing something you, dear reader, and I obtained a long time ago — a soul. I don’t mean soul in the Christian sense of the word, but in the feeling you have inside yourself that forces you to realize you are alive. If you cut off access to your senses and sat in the floating dark, you’d still know you were alive. Without words, touch, sight, sound, or taste, you would still be inside.
In truth, religion and spirituality cannot be taught through words or sounds. Instead, they need to be felt in your soul.
Did you feel the answers from ChatGPT touched your soul? I would assume no. These same ten concepts have been explained to me by several HUMANS, and their explanations changed me forever.
I’m not sure if an AI will ever be able to conjure the same emotional reaction through a large language model in the future, but it certainly didn’t today.
