老子之人文自然论纲

An Outline of Laozi’s Humanistic Naturalness

The idea of “humanistic naturalness” may sound strange because we are used to thinking of human as the opposite of nature according to our modern knowledge systems. However, this concept emerges from my serious reading and understanding of the Laozi or Daodejing. It is a new translation of the ancient concept Ziran (nature), whose meaning is quite different from usual usage of the word in modern Chinese. The introduction of this new expression is necessary to avoid misunderstandings of Laozi’s Ziran and to reveal the essential meanings of the word in the classical Chinese. The concept humanistic naturalness suggests natural order and harmony in human societies-the central principle and ultimate values embodied by Tao in Laozi’s system of thought. In addition to the highest meaning as the central value and harmony of whole world, humanistic naturalness also suggests natural order among communities and in a community. If we accept the concept humanistic naturalness with certain transformations for contemporary global societies, we may have a new ideal and criterion to regulate human behavior and actions, and to reduce and resolve conflicts around the world.