The Taoist Approach to ‘Place’ and ‘Experience’ as Seen by Anthropogeographers: Focusing on Jeff Malpas and Lao-Zhuang Thought

Abstract

In this paper, the approach to ‘Place’ and ‘Experience’ typically adopted by anthropogeographers will be reconsidered in light of the Taoist perspective to these phenomena. In order to develop the discussion more specifically, this exploration will be based on Jeff Malpas’s philosophical theories rather than geography, and the Lao-Zhuang (Laozi and Zhuangzi) perspective will also come into pace as place and experience are examined. In this paper, I have divided place and space on the basis of their dictionary meanings and have reconsidered each via Malpas and Lao-Zhuang views. I then discuss place in terms of ‘Place’ and ‘Place experience.’ Experience is what Malpas emphasizes as having Place in regards to place. Through this, I check the placing of place and examined * 대진대학교 교수, E-mail: konglai@naver.com 352 대순사상논총 제33집 / 연구논문 the characteristics of place, while comparing the views mentioned in Lao-Zhuang with those of Malpas and considered their meanings. In this study, I look at why a place should be a place, what experience in a place means, and what view and position Lao-Zhuang Thought has on this matters. Place is a meaningful subject for both the East and the West. Based on this work, I hope that Asian place theory can emerge anew.