Taoist Bioethics in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Fantasy Writing

Ursula K. Le Guin, a famous contemporary American fantasy novelist, was greatly influenced by Chinese Taoism. Her works display in-depth philosophical thinking about human beings. Taking Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle as the object of study, the paper explores Taoist bioethics in her fantasy writing. It argues that the narration of the creation of Earthsea, the growth of life, and the return of heroes displays the writer’s interpretation and rewriting of Taoist views about origin of the universe, existential attitude, and ultimate sphere of living. A Taoist bioethic perspective sheds light on understanding both the literary and philosophical uniqueness of Le Guin’s fantasy works.