Holistic Education in the Educational Ideas of the East, Based on Daoism

Holistic education is one of the educational trends of the late twentieth century, which, resting on spiritual foundations, attempted to overcome the shortcomings of modern educational theories. Although the origin of this approach can be found in the works of contemporary Western educators, this paper traces its roots in the old Eastern philosophical and spiritual thoughts centered on Daoism, and illustrates the encounter between the contemporary form of this approach and its eastern form in ancient time .Using content analysis and philosophical evidence, this paper first elucidates the fundamental components of Daoism in the original texts of such books like “the Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tseu and Ching tse, and then deals with the part which this approach has in holistic education. Considering the fundamental themes of Daoism, such as the nature of Dao, the collapse of the conventional system of values, self-monitoring and negation of mind and language; the basic educational concept of "fluidity”, its basic purpose of "liberation from mind" and the fundamental concept of learning" not-learning" reveal the truth of Dao.