Lao Tzu*
(6th century BC?)
and the
*Also known as
Laotse, Laozi, LaoZi, Li Erh, Li Tan, &
Lao Tan.
Dao De Jing
(Dow Duh Jing)
(The Book of the Way and Its Power)
6/25/06
According to tradition,
Lao Tzu (“The Old Boy”)
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was born in 604 BC in the Chu Province,
had a long career as the royal historian-librarianarchivist in the Chou capital of Lo-yang,
& (after becoming disillusioned as a result of the
increasing decline of the Chou dynasty) left China for
Tibet or India late in the 6th (or perhaps early in the
5th) century BC.
Before leaving, however, he recorded his philosophical
insights in a short book, the Dao De Jing (also known
as the Lao Tzu), which is one of the foundational
classics of “Philosophical Daoism.”
A second major primary source
of Philosophical Daoism is
The Book of Chuang Tzu,
by
Chuang Tzu
(also known as Chuang Chou, Zhuang-Zi)
(c. 369-286 BC)
Daoism is both
a philosophy
&
a religion.
Leading ideas in Daoist thought

Vision of Reality (metaphysics)
– Ontology/Cosmology
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
The DAO
Chi (Ch'I, Qi)
De
 Yin/Yang
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
The natural order (the universe & all things in it)
– Theology - gods & spirits
– Anthropology - human nature & the human
predicament

Values: Ethics & Political Philosophy
TAO
DOW
DAO
“a metaphysical first principle that embraces and
underlies all being, a vast Oneness that precedes and in
some mysterious manner generates the endlessly
diverse forms of the world . . . . [U]nknowable as the
tao may be in essence, one must somehow learn to
sense its presence and movement in order to bring one’s
own life and movements into harmony with it. The aim
of the text . . . is to impart to the reader, through hints,
symbols, and paradoxical utterances, such an intuitive
grasp of the tao and the vital ability to move with it
rather than counter to it.”
(Burton Watson)
Chi (Ch'i, Qi)
Primordial, arises from the Dao
 Vital matter and energy
 All things (other than Dao and Chi
itself) composed of Chi – the basic
"stuff" substance of nature

De (“Duh”)
“denotes a moral power or virtue
characteristic of a person who follows
the correct course of conduct . . . .
[In Daoism], te is the virtue or power
that one acquires through being in
accord with the tao, what one ‘gets’
from the tao.” (Burton Watson)
The power (De) of the
DAO is expressed in the
cosmos in accordance with
the Yin/Yang principle.
female
dark
cool
earthly
soft
changeable
moist
passive
negative
evil
Earth &
moon
Yin & Yang
Heaven &
sun
male
bright
hot
heavenly
hard
steadfast
dry
active
positive
good
Daoist metaphysics, continued
- Ontology/Cosmology
- DAO
- Chi (Ch'I, Qi)
- DE
- Yin/Yang
- The natural order
The cosmos
(universe, nature)
is an ever-changing expression &
blend of Yin and Yang, full of the
power (De) of the DAO.
Daoist
theology


(Daoist metaphysics,
continued)
The DAO is the highest reality. It is the Ground of
Being; but it is not “God” or “a god.” It is the
absolutely transcendent and incomprehensible Source
of the natural world (the universe). The DAO is
beyond sensation, beyond thought, beyond
imagination, beyond words, etc. It is knowable only
through direct mystical experience or intuition.
Gods, good spirits, and demons exist as expressions of
the power (De) of the DAO. These spiritual powers
can be accessed and harnessed through various
magical rituals.
Philosophical Anthropology -
The Daoist perspective on human nature &
the human predicament
•
•
Humanity is merely one of
the “Den Thousand Things”
manifested in nature, one
animal species among
others.
However, human beings
(unlike other animals) have
the power of free choice.
This enables them to act
contrary to nature (contrary
to the DAO), to become
alienated from the “Way.”
•
•
Humans can choose to
separate themselves
from the natural order,
and they can pursue
things they want in
addition to things they
need.
This leads to an
unnatural existence
filled with various kinds
of pain & suffering.
(Daoist metaphysics/anthropology, continued)
The solution to the human predicament
Back to nature; back to the DAO.
 The practice of wu-wei (non-ado,
effortless action, action without friction &
conflict, swimming with the current) -the simple, natural life.
 Go with the flow.
 Chill out.

Leading ideas in Taoist thought

Reality
– Ontology/Cosmology

The TAO
Te
 Yin/Yang


The natural order (the universe & all things in it)
– Theology - gods & spirits
– Anthropology - human nature & the human
predicament

Values: Ethics & Political Philosophy
Ethical Doctrines
(guidelines for right conduct)

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Tune in to De (the power of DAO), & follow the DAO.
Practice wu-wei (non-ado).
Follow the path of least resistance (like water does);
practice relaxed action through yielding.
Avoid self-assertion & competition; practice humility &
non-combativeness.
Disdain worldly prizes.
“The way to do is to be.”
Other specific ethical principles the same as in
Confucianism, but with an individualistic & non-political
emphasis.
On the religious side of Daoism,

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
There is major interest in
conserving, increasing, &/or
gaining control over De & its
vital energy (chi).
There are numerous rituals
aimed at the veneration of the
gods & good spirits & at
placation of & protection from
demons.
There are also magical & occult
practices (oracles, divination,
astrology, mediumism, healing
rites, etc.) aimed at gaining
control over the powers of
nature (De).

The concern with increasing the
supply of De’s vital energy (chi) is
expressed in practices involving
diet & nutrition, pharmacology &
folk medicine (including
acupuncture), and yoga-like
concentration on the inner self
(sexual experiments, breathing
exercises, tai chi chuan & other
martial arts, & control of the mind
through meditation techniques).
Daoists also believe that DAOMasters who have realized a
surplus of chi can radiate from
themselves a healing &
harmonious psychic influence to
the communities in which they live.
Daoist Political Philosophy
(an application of wu-wei)
Limited government & a laid-back prince -a kind of libertarianism?
(See the DDJ’s many passages on government, political
leadership, warfare, social & economic policy, etc.)
The philosophical content of
the Dao De Jing:
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DAO
Yin & Yang & the principle of reversal
Non-ado (wu-wei)
The DAO-Master (the Daoist hero)
Seeking the DAO & living in the DAO
How to live
Meditation
Emptiness
Anti-Confucianism
Political philosophy
Lao Tzu says that his teachings
are derived from an ancient
system of principles & that they
are easy to understand & to put
into practice,
but that no one understands &
practices them.
(DDJ 70)
He also says:
Many consider my teaching to be
nonsense.
 But the profound is a lot like nonsense.
 If a teaching does not seem
nonsensical, then it must be trivial.
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Characteristics of the DAO
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Indefinable
Unnamable
The source of both
reality & appearance
Empty, but never used
up; always available
Hidden, but always
present
Older than the gods
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Invisible, inaudible,
intangible
The One
Appears in countless
forms; given countless
names
Without form, but
complete
The Mother of all
things
Silent. Empty. Independent.
Unchanging. Infinite. Eternal.
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Creator of all things
Present in all things
Returns all things to their origin (nothingness, nothing-ness?)
Does not contend, but it prevails; does not speak,
but it answers; is not called, but it responds; has
no purpose, but it achieves all of its aims
When you seek it, you find it.
Yin/Yang & the Principle of Reversal
DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ

2a Yin/Yang bipolarity
22 Reversal
28a Yin/Yang balance
36 Reversal
40 Reversal & Yielding
42 Yin/Yang & Reversal
Wu-wei (non-ado)
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Therefore, the Dao-Master acts with non-ado
& teaches without speaking.
Things come & go.
He lets them come & go.
He creates, but he does not own.
He achieves, but he takes no credit.
He completes his work & then forgets about it.
Practice non-ado, & your accomplishments
endure.
Other wu-wei passages
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DDJ 10b (non-ado as
non-action)
DDJ 10c (non-ado &
virtue)
DDJ 29 (letting go &
letting be)
DDJ 43 (soft/hard)
DDJ 44 (knowing
when enough is
enough)
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DDJ 48 (letting be)
DDJ 76 (softness &
flexibility vs. hardness
& stiffness)
The DAO-Master
Thoughts of a Dao-Master
No more learning, no more trouble.
Is there any real difference between “Ahhh!” and “Yuk!”?
What about “good” and “evil”?
Must I fear what others fear?
Ridiculous!
Everybody else is smiling,
having fun as if at a festival or carnival.
I alone am drifting, not knowing whether I’m coming or going,
like a baby before it has learned to smile.
Others have what they need; I have nothing.
I might as well be homeless.
I’m a fool. Very confused.
Others are bright; I am dim.
Others are sharp; I am dull, lost at sea, without direction.
Others have plans; I am aimless.
I am different from others.
I am nourished by the Great Mother.
Characteristics of the DAO-Master
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Detached
 Good to people
Selfless
who are good
Cautious
 Good to people
Alert
who are not good
Courteous  Trusts those who
are trustworthy
Yielding
Undefined  Trusts those who
are not trustworthy
Open
 Radiates peace &
Murky
harmony
Quiet
Calm & unperturbed
Passages describing the DAO-Master
DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ
 DDJ

7b (detachment)
15 (general description)
24 (disgusting things)
26 (not swept away)
45 (seems vs. is)
49 (radiator)
•
DDJ 63 (The T-M’s M.O.)
DDJ 64 (ditto)
•
DDJ 67b (virtues)
•
DDJ 71 (Socratic wisdom)
DDJ 81 (truth, goodness,
wisdom, non-ado)
•
•
(Look at underlined passages?)
When a thoughtful man hears of the Tao, he tries to follow it.
When an average man hears of the Tao,
he wonders about it, but then tends to forget it.
When a fool hears of the Tao, he makes fun of it.
If someone didn’t make fun of it, it wouldn’t be the Tao.
Therefore, when seeking the Tao,
light seems dark,
advancing feels like retreating,
the simple appears difficult,
power is like weakness,
purity seems tarnished,
true virtue seems deficient and unsteady,
and the clear seems obscure.
The true square has no corners.
The true vessel never sails.
The true sound is hard to hear.
The true form has no shape.
(DDJ 41)
The Tao is hidden, beyond definition; but it alone fulfills.
Much talk is contrary to nature.
The wind doesn’t blow all morning.
The rain doesn’t fall all day.
Wind and rain are caused by nature,
If nature restrains herself, shouldn’t people do the same?
He who follows the Tao is one with the Tao.
He who is virtuous is one with Virtue [Te].
He who loses the Tao becomes a loss.
Surrender to the Tao, and it will be your home.
Practice virtue [Te], and it will be your abode.
Lose the Tao, and you will then reside in loss.
No trust given, no trust received.
(DDJ 23)
The Tao never acts, yet through it everything gets done.
If rulers could reside in the Tao,
everything would fall into place all by itself.
Action is restrained by the Tao.
Action restrained, no desire.
No desire: tranquillity.
All things at peace.
How to Live
(Ethical Prescriptions)
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DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
8
9*
12*
33*
52*
56*
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It is good to be like water.
It nourishes without effort.
It flows without contention into low places
that people scorn.
Thus, it is like the Dao.
In dwelling, live close to the land.
In thinking, go deep.
In relating to others, be gentle.
In governing, seek good order and justice.
In acting, be skillful.
In working, do all things at the right time.
No contention, no strife.
Can you keep body and soul together
and find your wholeness in the One?
Can you make your breathing as soft as a
newborn child’s?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see with perfect clarity?
The Value of Emptiness & Non-Being
Thirty spokes are joined in the hub of the wheel,
but it is the center hole, where it is empty,
that makes the wheel useful.
We make a clay pot,
but it is the emptiness inside that makes the pot useful.
We cut windows and doors to make a room,
but it is the inner emptiness that makes the room useful.
We seek to take advantage of what is,
but we also find much use for what is not.
Lao-Tzu’s Anti-Confucianism
DDJ 18
 DDJ 19
 DDJ 38
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Down with kindness & morality,
intelligence & learning, family values,
industry & profit, clinging to power,
activism, virtue, justice, & propriety!
Lao-Tzu’s Political Philosophy
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DDJ 3 (Daoist rule)
DDJ 17 (types of rulers)
DDJ 28b (uncarved wood)
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
30 (war)
31 (weapons)
32 (dividing & naming)
46 (enough is enough)
53 (social criticism)
57 (keep it simple)
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DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
DDJ
58 (limited govt.)
60 (large country, small fish)
61 (yielding)
65 (enlightening the people)
66 (low profile)
68 (non-contending)
69 (war)
74 (death penalty)
75 (limited govt.)
77 (social policy)
78 (water)
Imagine a small country with a small population.
They have lots of technology, but they use none of it.
They take the prospect of death seriously
and thus do not travel far from home.
They have boats and carriages, but no one takes them out.
They have weapons and armor,
but no one takes them out of the armory.
(DDJ 80)
Instead of writing, they have gone back
to the old system of cord-knotting.
They enjoy their plain but good food,
their simple but fine clothing,
their humble but secure homes.
They are happy with their way of life.
The next country is so close that the crowing of the cocks and
the barking of the dogs over there can be easily heard over here;
and yet the people over here grow old and die
without ever having been over there.
Self
Being in favor or being in disgrace: either way, trouble.
It is all within the Self.
What does this mean?
Being in favor, we fear falling out of favor.
Being out of favor, we fear remaining there.
This fear is within the Self.
No Self, no fear.
Do you value the world as you value yourself?
You may be trusted to rule.
Do you love the world as you love yourself?
The world may be entrusted to your care.