Laozi

Laozi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Controversies
Some controversial theories about Laozi are:
The discussion with Confucius might have been fabricated by Taoists to make their school of
philosophy sound superior to Confucianism.
The actual author(s) of the Tao Te Ching might have created a fictitious character so that the origin of
the text would look more mysterious, thus making it easier to be popularised.
Arguments that "Laozi" was a pseudonym of Dan, Prefect of the Grand Scribes, or of an old man from
Lai, a prefecture in the state of Qí, or of some other historical persons.
It is also believed that the Tao Te Ching was written as a guideline for emperors as how to rule their
empire in a more natural way; "Ruling by not ruling". This can be found in the numerous references in
the Tao Te Ching which stated: "Not exalting man of worth, prevents people from competing" and
"Not putting high value on rare goods, prevents people from being bandit" and "Human hunger is the
result of overtaxation. For this reason, there is hunger".
Taoism
Laozi's work, the Tao Te Ching, is one of the most significant
treatises in Chinese philosophy. It is his magnum opus,
covering large areas of philosophy from individual
spirituality and inter-personal dynamics to political
techniques.
Laozi developed the concept of "Tao", often translated as "the
Way", and widened its meaning to an inherent order or
property of the universe: "The way Nature is". He highlighted
the concept of Wei wuwei, or "action without action". This
does not mean that one should hang around and do nothing,
but that one should avoid explicit intentions, strong wills or
proactive actions;
Laozi believed that violence should be avoided as much as
possible, and that military victory -- which logically would be
attained through use of force -- should be an occasion for
mourning rather than triumphant celebration.
Similarly to the arguments fowarded by Plato in the Republic
on various form of governing, Laozi said that the codification
of laws and rules into the society created difficulty and
complexity in managing and governing.
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Laozi, from Myths and Legends of China
(1922) by E.T.C. Werner
As with most other ancient Chinese philosophers, Laozi often explains his ideas by way of paradox, analogy,
appropriation of ancient sayings, repitition, symmetry, rhyme, and rhythm. The writings attributed to him are
often very dense and poetic. They serve as a starting point for cosmological or introspective meditations.
Many of the aesthetic theories of Chinese art are widely grounded in his ideas and those of his most famous
follower Zhuang Zi.
Some people suggest that the closest parallel to Taoist philosophy in the west is the Traditionalist School,
specifically the works of Ananda Coomaraswamy and Rene Guenon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_zi
09.07.2006