The Concept and Symbol of Yin and Yang Explained

Video

Kelly Macquire
by
published on 23 August 2022

The principle of Yin and Yang dates from the third century BCE and perhaps even later than that, and is the foundational principle of Chinese philosophy and Chinese medicine. Yin and Yang is a symbol of balanced opposites, where they are inseparable and contradictory such as dark and light, and young and old. The term Yang in Chinese means the sunny side of the hill, and the term Yin means the shady side. Yin and Yang are two different energies that can be used to describe any and everything in the universe, and as symbolised in the two small dots within the Yin and Yang symbol, everything contains a bit of its opposite.

The symbol of Yin and Yang shows that each side is equal and comprises a bit of the other, neither is superior and an increase in one leads to a decrease in the other. In order to reach harmony, the two sides must be correctly balanced. It is believed that if there is ever too great of an imbalance between Yin and Yang, natural disasters such as droughts, floods and plagues can occur. The desire for Yin and Yang to be balanced can also be seen in Chinese medicine, with the belief that a lack or excess of Yin or Yang energy can cause health issues, and balancing them out is the remedy.

— SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—
https://www.patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia

— BUY OUR MERCH —
https://www.worldhistory.store​/​

— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
0:58 What is Yin and Yang?
4:11 Examples of Yin and Yang
5:25 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Yin and Yang https://www.worldhistory.org/Yin_and_Yang/
Ancient Chinese Philosophy https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Philosophy/
Taosim https://www.worldhistory.org/Taoism/
Lao-Tzu https://www.worldhistory.org/Lao-Tzu/
Chinese Literature https://www.worldhistory.org/Chinese_Literature/

— WATCH NEXT —
Oracle Bones of the Ancient Chinese Shang Dynasty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSUYT0h0WJI
An Introduction to the Dynasties of Ancient China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktPUtz-m7oA
The Lives of Women in Ancient China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBFmZl9kf9I
Wu Zetian: the First and Only Empress of Imperial China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FZjaKO9YLs

— ATTRIBUTIONS —
You can find all attribution and credits for images, animations, graphics and music here - https://worldhistory.typehut.com/the-concept-and-symbol-of-yin-and-yang-explained-images-and-attributions-10742

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
https://www.ancientlyre.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

— THUMBNAIL IMAGE —
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:文光塔-二层藻井.JPG
Kunwi - own work
CC BY SA 3.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Canva - Yin Yang Bagua - fzant

World History Encyclopedia
www.worldhistory.org

#yinyang #yinandyang #ancientchina

Remove Ads
Advertisement

About the Author

Kelly Macquire
Kelly is a graduate from Monash University who has completed her BA (Honours) in Ancient History and Archaeology, focussing on iconography and status in Pylos burials. She has a passion for mythology and the Aegean Bronze Age.

The video and its description text are provided by Youtube. This website claims no authorship of this content; we are republishing it for educational purposes.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Macquire, K. (2022, August 23). The Concept and Symbol of Yin and Yang Explained. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2815/the-concept-and-symbol-of-yin-and-yang-explained/

Chicago Style

Macquire, Kelly. "The Concept and Symbol of Yin and Yang Explained." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified August 23, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2815/the-concept-and-symbol-of-yin-and-yang-explained/.

MLA Style

Macquire, Kelly. "The Concept and Symbol of Yin and Yang Explained." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 23 Aug 2022. Web. 19 Apr 2024.

Membership