In philosophical interpretations of the Laozi the function of the 'sage' is a relatively under concentrated on topic. Although nearly every scholar does have something to say about the sage, comments ...are usually brief and often revolve around the sage as some particular character-type; for example highlighting the sage as a 'sage-ruler'. In this article we will argue that the sage serves as a tool for understanding the major concepts, thinking, and logic of the Laozi. While the sage does often refer to the sage-ruler this does not mean all references are politically orientated, and even those that are can easily be applied to a host of social situations. This paper thus seeks to appreciate the context for what the Laozi says by looking at how the text itself envisions the embodiment of its ideas through reference to the sage.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The ancient concept of spontaneous self-causation (ziran) from Daoism opens a path to understanding human action as self-organizing, attention as effortless, and art as somatic.
This unique, highly contextualized translation of the Laozi is based on the earliest known edition of the work, Text A of the Mawangdui Laozi, written before 202 BCE. No other editions are comparable ...to this text in its antiquity. Hongkyung Kim also incorporates the recent archaeological discovery of Laozi -related documents disentombed in 1993 in Guodian, seeing these documents as proto-materials for compilation of the Laozi and revealing clues for disentangling the work from complicated exegetical contentions. Kim makes extensive use of Chinese commentaries on the Laozi and also examines the classic Chinese texts closely associated with the formation of the work to illuminate the intellectual and historical context of Laozi's philosophy. Kim offers several original and thought-provoking arguments on the Laozi, including that the work was compiled during the Qin, which has traditionally been viewed as typical of Legalist states, and that the Laozi should be recognized as a syncretic text before being labeled a Daoist one.
This article seeks to contribute to the discourse on mindful leadership by drawing on Daoist philosophy as recorded in the Daodejing (Book on the Way and Virtue). Without a clear articulation of its ...normative underpinnings, mindful leadership can be easily exploited by leaders for immoral agendas and outcomes. The existing literature describes Daoist leadership as antithetical to autocratic leadership, and is unimposing and ethical. Giving additional insights to the construct of Daoist leadership, this essay argues that a Daoist leader exemplifies dao (Way-making) and wuwei (noncoercive action). Way-making is about influencing followers towards a common goal through the leader’s de (virtue). In addition, a Daoist leader promotes wuwei by enacting non-interfering, inspiring, liberating and nurturing management practices. Daoist principles provide an ethical foundation of mindful leadership by replacing McMindfulness with attentiveness to moral virtues. By foregrounding the centrality of ethics in leadership, this study seeks to open a line of inquiry and raise thought-provoking questions on the normative basis of mindful leadership.
Much contemporary scholarship on ziran and wuwei views these concepts, which are often coupled, as being 1) anti-intention, effort, purpose, and self-consciousness; 2) indicative of a distinct type ...of ethics and/or morality; and 3) a rejection of following custom and convention. This paper will draw largely on the philosophy of Guo Xiang to demonstrate that these widely agreed upon avenues of interpretation are limited and run contrary to other more nuanced readings of ziran and wuwei. I argue that ziran and wuwei are better appreciated as speaking to attitudes, that they should be understood in terms of degrees rather than categories, and that the Laozi and Zhuangzi offer them as advice for ways of reflecting-they are not standardizable ethical rules. In this way, we can see how ziran and wuwei include intention and effort, are anti (most forms of) ethics and morality, and are inherently intertwined with customs and convention.
This article examines the historical background of “Laozi huahu 老子化胡” (Laozi converting the barbarians) and investigates its generation mode and constituent elements. It also discusses and reflects ...on issues such as the origin of “huahu” and Laozi’s deification. The origin of “Laozi huahu” has little relationship to issues such as the divine system in the Han dynasty and Laozi’s deification. Its elements are rooted in Chinese secular ideological resources. The story of “heroes moving across borders” during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, along with the notion of Laozi as the universal teacher for disciples of various schools, gave birth to the saying. An analysis of the historical background suggests that the origin of “huahu” had likely gone through a long evolutionary process, including an undocumented period where it was transmitted orally as a legend.
The article addresses the ambivalent relationship of Tiantai Buddhist thought to Daoist ideas from the Daode jing and the Zhuangzi. On the one hand, Tiantai incorporates Daoist rhetoric and some ...concepts of the Daoist-influenced Xuanxue 玄學 into its Buddhist doctrine of mind contemplation (guanxin 觀心); on the other, drawing on the Buddhist notion of the tetralemma (catuṣkoṭi, siju 四句), Tiantai criticizes the Daoist ineffable as a misconception that does not really transcend linguistic representation. Thus, Tiantai attempts to develop the view that Buddhist inconceivable liberation (bukesiyi jietuo 不可思議解脫) is neither separate from nor identical with linguistic meaning, implying the recognition of the non-duality of the real and the unreal. In this way, according to the Tiantai teaching, the doctrinal exegesis of the sūtra and śāstra texts can serve as an exercise in spiritual contemplation that frees the practitioners’ minds from the shackles of their self-induced delusions, but this liberation does not mean eradicating unreality. To illustrate that view, Tiantai draws on Daoist parables and combines them with Buddhist imagery. Hence, the article attempts to clarify the intricate relationship between Tiantai’s reception and critique of Daoist ideas.
This paper draws a comparison between Derrida's "trace" and the idea of dao in classical Daoism (Laozi and Zhuangzi). It is argued that if dao is read in a non-metaphysical way, then the Derridean ...idea of "trace" will show large overlaps with dao. I then show how, despite some obvious differences, a "trace" reading of dao enables a clearer understanding of dao that would see it not as a metaphysical principle, ineffable but transcendent nonetheless, but rather as an immanent working of the patterned processes that makes up both the natural and human world. I also argue that the notion of trace in classical Daoism (ji 跡, literally footprints) or other characters denoting trace, are most often used in a more traditional way (as pointing to a lost presence) and hence are not useful for understanding what Derrida means with his notion of "trace."
The complex and long genesis of the Daodejing is widely known. Whether it was originally composed by a single author, the legendary Laozi, or whether it emerged over time as a sort of collective ...anthology ancient sayings, the text underwent countless changes made by copyists and commentators over the centuries, and the Daodejing extensively published today is clearly something different from its first (and second) versions. For this reason, as well as for the nature of Chinese thought itself, it seems inappropriate to search for a philosophical “system” in the Daodejing. Nonetheless, the text can shed light on the view of nature permeating classical China. The paper will focus on three issues. The first is the ontological non-individualization of the Dao, which is the counterpart to the epistemological individualization of the human and social world. The second is the kind of metaphysics that can frame these features: a metaphysics of diachronic events, processes, and emergences, rather than a synchronic metaphysics of objects, substances, and monadic properties. The third, finally, is the fragmenting power of language, which through naming and knowledge creates that individualization that splits the undivided unity of the Dao.
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