Daodejing Essay

In the sixth century B.C., the Daodejing was recorded by the author and Chinese master, Laozi. This ancient Chinese text was been written on and researched over the past two-thousand years. Many scholars and readers have observed the Daodejing to find that it is hardly self-explanatory. In order to have a more comprehensive understanding of the text as a whole there are some important elements to consider such as the framework and perspective behind the text. Karyn Lai is a scholar in the School of Philosophy at the University of New South Whales. Lai’s article, Ziran and Wu Wei: an Ethical Assessment, suggests ziran and wu wei are correlated, ethical concepts and together they provide a unifying framework to understanding the philosophy of Daodejing. In the introduction of Daodejing in the Norton Anthology of World Literature (Volume A), the text is described as, “It is also the most paradoxical , because it uses logical contradictions to articulate it’s vision.” (Norton Anthology 1344). While the text certainly has
The known author of the text is the Chinese sage named Laozi. What is known about the author is that Laozi was alive during the Zhou dynasty in the sixth century B.C. The name Laozi in pinyin actually directly translate in meaning as “old master”. Now looking directly at the name of the text, Daodejing, the meaning of the name can be understood by dividing it into two parts: “Way” (dao) and “Virtue” (de). With further investigation, the Way refers to the natural state of being and uncorrupted by pervading everything in the cosmos and the earth. Virtue is the essence in each thing that is in it’s natural state and the force that allows humans to reach their full potential (Norton Anthology 1344). In the Daoist (or otherwise known as Taoist) religion, the Daodejing is the fundamental text for the philosophy to Daoism, Confucianism and Chinese