Across families
Agnosticism and Philosophical Daoism
Different families with 11 axes in close agreement — the sort of pairing a quiz weighting only the divine axes would never surface. Mean distance across all seventeen axes: 0.17 (0 would be identical).
A claim about knowledge rather than about God: the question is not settled and the honest response is suspension. Sits mid-scale on the A-group with small dispersions, because being genuinely undecided is a definite position, not a vague one.
The Dao is the way things go, not a being who arranges them — so the move is to stop interfering and act in accord with it. Almost no ritual, almost no authority, and a naturalism that arrives at reverence rather than at disenchantment.
Where they agree
E1 Exclusivity
Both sit at leaning many valid paths — a gap of 0.00.
D2 Centrality of ritual
Both sit at optional or absent and leaning optional or absent respectively — a gap of 0.03.
A3 Plurality
Both sit at leaning strictly one — a gap of 0.05.
E3 Locus of belonging
Both sit at an individual choice and leaning an individual choice respectively — a gap of 0.08.
C3 The human condition
Both sit at leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound and ignorant but fundamentally sound respectively — a gap of 0.10.
E2 Origin of the cosmos
Both sit at leaning beginningless or natural and beginningless or natural respectively — a gap of 0.10.
A1 Divine reality
Both sit at between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists — a gap of 0.10.
B1 Source of truth
Both sit at reason and direct experience and leaning reason and direct experience respectively — a gap of 0.10.
B3 Institutional authority
Both sit at individual conscience decides and leaning individual conscience decides respectively — a gap of 0.10.
D3 The body
Both sit at leaning to be celebrated and between to be disciplined and to be celebrated respectively — a gap of 0.10.
D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good
Both sit at leaning achieved by effort or insight — a gap of 0.12.
Where they part company
A4 Locus
Agnosticism: between wholly beyond the world and fully present within it. Philosophical Daoism: fully present within it. A gap of 0.50 on an axis running from “wholly beyond the world” to “fully present within it”.
A2 Personhood
Agnosticism: between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can address. Philosophical Daoism: impersonal principle or order. A gap of 0.40 on an axis running from “impersonal principle or order” to “a personal being one can address”.
All seventeen axes
| Axis | Agnosticism | Philosophical Daoism | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Divine reality | between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists | between nothing beyond the natural and a divine reality certainly exists | 0.10 |
| A2 Personhood | between impersonal principle or order and a personal being one can address | impersonal principle or order | 0.40 |
| A3 Plurality | leaning strictly one | leaning strictly one | 0.05 |
| A4 Locus | between wholly beyond the world and fully present within it | fully present within it | 0.50 |
| B1 Source of truth | reason and direct experience | leaning reason and direct experience | 0.10 |
| B2 Reading of sacred text | metaphorical, or no text at all | leaning metaphorical, or no text at all | 0.13 |
| B3 Institutional authority | individual conscience decides | leaning individual conscience decides | 0.10 |
| C1 Survival of the self | between ends at death and continues in some form | leaning ends at death | 0.15 |
| C2 Shape of time | leaning one life, then judgment | leaning cyclical return | 0.40 |
| C3 The human condition | leaning ignorant but fundamentally sound | ignorant but fundamentally sound | 0.10 |
| D1 Mechanism of the ultimate good | leaning achieved by effort or insight | leaning achieved by effort or insight | 0.12 |
| D2 Centrality of ritual | optional or absent | leaning optional or absent | 0.03 |
| D3 The body | leaning to be celebrated | between to be disciplined and to be celebrated | 0.10 |
| E1 Exclusivity | leaning many valid paths | leaning many valid paths | 0.00 |
| E2 Origin of the cosmos | leaning beginningless or natural | beginningless or natural | 0.10 |
| E3 Locus of belonging | an individual choice | leaning an individual choice | 0.08 |
| E4 Standing of nature | between creation, given for use and animate and itself sacred | animate and itself sacred | 0.36 |
Positions for Agnosticism rest principally on Huxley’s 1889 essay on agnosticism and contemporary epistemic treatments; for Philosophical Daoism, on Daodejing and Zhuangzi. Per-cell sources are listed on each tradition’s own page.
The questionnaire places your answers on these same axes and ranks all 65 traditions by how closely they match. Take it.