Materials,Language,and Definitions:On the Differences and Causes of Opinions Regarding the Dating of Laozi in Chinese and Western Academia

The exact dating of Laozi and his work has long been a topic of scholarly interest.Since the 1920s,traditional views on Laozi’s dating have been widely questioned in both Chinese and Western academia.In the latter half of the 20th century,as the“Trust Antiquity”trend gradually emerged in Chinese academia,the view that“Laozi did not exist”became the most influential mainstream perspective in Western academia.This paper first reviews the process of unification and differentiation of opinions between Chinese and Western academia.Then,by analyzing and comparing representative papers from Chinese and Western scholars,it explores the reasons for the differences in mainstream opinions.Additionally,it briefly discusses the implications of these differences to provide insights for future research.

Reading Excavated Laozi: The Lens of Western Scholarship

There has been an increasing interest in the Chinese excavated documents of western scholars.With different version of excavated Laozi,it attracts the attention of researchers.This paper examines the study of unearthed Laozi by western scholars by using Mawangtui and Guodia Laozi,attempts to give readers a basic picture of unearthed Laozi study in western academia.Since there is no way that I can hope to introduce all western studies of unearthed Laozi,this paper will restrict the presentation to just the following topic:Mawangtui Laozi,Guodian Laozi,“Tai Yi Sheng Shui”,“Wu Xing”,and Methodology.

Caricature Exhibition Held in Cairo on Ancient Chinese Philosopher Laozi

A caricature exhibition on Chinese philosopher Laozi was held in Cairo on July 8, helping promote Chinese culture in Egypt and boost mutual cultural exchanges. The exhibition displayed more than 30 works by 40 artists from 18 countries including China, Egypt, Spain, and Brazil. These paintings reflect the admiration and love of people from arround the world for Laozi’s philosophy.

On Laozi’s View of Desire

Laozi’s concept of desire has rich ideological connotations,not only referring to reducing personal desires.Laozi’s concept of desire is based on“desire”as human nature,acknowledging the legitimacy and necessity of desire and demand.The rational criticism of“having desire”formed by“no desire”is the value pursuit of Laozi’s concept of desire.From both personal physical and mental aspects and social order,“no desire”plays an important guiding role.Nature is the essence of Laozi’s concept of desire,and being in harmony with nature is the best state of desire.Laozi’s concept of desire reveals a deep spirit of love,and the“ethics of love”highlights Laozi’s strong sense of care for the“other”and ethical attitude towards responsibility.Laozi’s contemplation of desire contains a strong humanistic spirit,with the aim of promoting the healthy and sustainable development of life and society.

Laozi's Aesthetic Education Philosophy on Self-Education

The article deduces the concept of self-education that had been advocated by Laozi,the founder of Taoism,in his philosophy on aesthetic education.From the perspective of his philosophical thoughts,this article analyzes the inspiration and inheritance of"aesthetic"in the Chinese traditional culture based on the concept of self-education,discusses the similarities between the concept of self-education and beauty,as well as explores the internal relationship between self-education and aesthetic feeling so that the enlightenment and value of the concept of self-education in aesthetic education can be reflected and learnt.

New Look of Laozi's Hometown

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Paradoxes in the Textual Development of the Laozi： A Closer Examination of Chapters Eight and Twenty-Four

In light of the recently published Western Han period bamboo-slip Laozi, now in the collection of Peking University, this paper explores several paradoxes in the textual development of the Laozi. Specifically, it presents two examples suggesting that since the wording in the Laozi was originally intended to be ambiguous and paradoxical, during the transmission of the text, the compilers or commentators modified some of the paradoxes to make better sense. Eventually those modifications came to replace the original text. In the first part of this article examines certain contrasting differences in Chapter Eight from the Beida Laozi, the Mawangdui Laozi, and the received Laozi. The second part, I examine certain other contrasting differences from these same versions from Chapter Twenty-Four are discussed. This paper argues that these differences among the various versions are not the product of transcribal error; rather, they are the result of compilers or commentators who revised these passages against their earliest versions in order to make the meaning clearer and more explicit.

A Neo-Confucian Criticism of Daoism:Wang Fuzhi's Contradictory Remarks on the Laozi

Based on Zhu Xi's statement that Laozi's teachings were very cruel,Wang Fuzhi condemned Laozi as a crafty,petty person in his Confucian commentaries.Yet,he had to understand the Laozi or Daodejing sympathetically when he commented on it in Laozi Yan老子衍(Extended Commentary on the Laozi).As a result,he showed inconsistency in his criticism and evaluation of the author.Some scholars have noted this problem but have not shed ink analyzing it.This essay finds that Wang Fuzhi's ambiguous attitude toward Laozi results from his Confucian prejudice against other schools and his failure to grasp the breadth and depth of Laozi's thought.From the perspective of Heaven,Laozi promoted accommodation and non-interference in self-cultivation and governance,summed up by the maxim that"the sage manages affairs without deliberation,and spreads teachings without words."In contrast,Wang Fuzhi stuck to the distinction between Confucianism and Daoism,and tried to use humanity and ritual propriety to supplement that which Heaven does not provide;as such,he criticized Laozi as crafty and irresponsible.Wang Fuzhi's criticism neither hits the mark regarding Laozi's weakness nor maintains a concordance with his earlier sympathetic appraisal in Laozi Yan;the reason for this is that Wang Fuzhi could not fully grasp Laozi's thought from a Confucian and anthropocentric perspective.

The Enjoyment of the Sage and the Common People： A New Perspective on the Cosmology of the Laozi

The Laozi laughs at the joy of those who violate the Dao and praises the suffering of those who attain it, yet this does not mean that the political philosophy of the Laozi does not encompass a notion of happiness, a notion that is grounded in the ＂enjoyment of something together＂ （gong le 共乐） by the sage and the common people. The philosophical foundation of the Laozi＇s view of happiness is its cosmology, of which there are two sequences： one is generation and the other is growth. With the influences of Wei/Jin-era metaphysics and Western philosophy, Chinese scholars used to overemphasize generation, tracing only the origin. But in the cosmology of the Laozi, both generation and growth are indispensable, and this is part of the reason why the Dao and the De are equally important in the Laozi. The happiness of the common people does not come from a psychological dependence on or attachment to certain form of domination, but from the full development of each individual＇s initiative and action affected by Mysterious De.

The Philosophy of ＂Naturalness＂ in the Laoziand Its Value For Contemporary Society

This article aims to show that the concept of ＂naturalness＂ in the Laozi is able to provide cultural guidance concerning values for contemporary social development. Specifically, the Laozi＇s concept of ＂naturalness＂-- manifested in the text＇s exhortation to ＂honor the dao and exalt the de＂ and its statement that ＂the dao models itself on naturalness＂--has profound ontological, political and social implications concerning ＂naturalness＂ that are strongly expressed through a variety of propositions including ＂achieving all through non-action＂ and ＂downsizing the state and simplifying the people.＂ With respect to the question about individuals living a life of appropriateness and establishing their destiny, the Laozi emphasizes such cultivation methods as ＂sticking to simplicity and authenticity＂ and ＂watching in quietude and observing in depth,＂ which are also infused with the conception of ＂naturalness,＂ which stresses the notion that understanding the harmony between man and nature can provide useful lessons for the development of contemporary human society.

The Laozi and the Cosmogonic Turn in Classical Chinese Philosophy

In the past several decades, our understanding of the Laozi has been revolutionized by the discovery of new textual materials. While research has focused on various manuscript copies, the discovery of other cosmogonic texts dated to the late fourth century BC indicate that the Laozi was not as unique as it once seemed. Taken together, these texts show a radical shift in philosophical orientation occurring by the late 4th century BC, a change toward concerns with cosmogony and accounts of human beings as merely one part of the natural world. The goal of this paper is to analyze the various elements of this shift, using the Taiyi Sheng Shui 太一生水 （Great One Generates Water）, Hengxian 恒先 （Constancy First）, and Fan Wu Liu Xing 凡物流形 （All Things Flow into Form）, along with Lhe Laozi bamboo strips found at Guodian. The first section examines the commonalities between the various cosmogonies; the second places cosmogony in the context of other distinctive concerns that the texts share, turning toward the ;implications of the cosmogonies for human action. The final section examines orLe of the fundamental points on which the texts disagree.

万物负阴而抱阳——老子母性论思想论析

健全的人性系统应包括自然性(个体性)、社会性(父性)与母性三个维度。但历史上人们往往更多地关注了人的社会性与自然性,而一定程度上忽视了人性的母性维度。老子针对父权制社会的种种弊端,提出“万物负阴而抱阳”的母性论命题,意在重建人心的秩序。然而,老子母性论并非仅在话语的表层区分于父权,而在于彰显母性“大爱”的品格,其既不同于儒家的仁爱与墨家的兼爱,也不同于基督教背景下的博爱。老子母性论有三个思想特质:一是母性是人对自身的完全舍弃与对存在的绝对给予;二是母性在人与社会的发展中起着根本性的奠基作用;三是母性意味着个体对于家国共同体的认同和归属。研究老子母性论的意义在于探讨人心的现代性问题。真正意义上的社会的现代化发展应体现在社会制度与人心两个层面上,后者则是现代性的真正实现。

列子对道家思想承启作用的贡献探析

列子是人类文明轴心时代中原核心区诞生的重要思想家,是道家学派从老子到庄子延伸时期的重要人物。列子承继了老子的道论思想。他沿用老子“谷神”“玄牝”等概念,生动地解析了“道”生天地万物的机理。列子下启庄子,为庄子提供了发扬光大道家思想的标尺、富有启发的思想素材、理论创造灵感以及寓言这种表达思想的艺术形式。列子思想的特色可以简要概括为以下三个方面:一是达观且具有人间烟火气的人生观;二是具有现实价值的技艺崇拜思想;三是具有值得重新估量的重要文化地位。列子“郑之圃泽多贤,东里多才”的箴言,足以与湖湘文化中“惟楚有才,于斯为盛”相媲美。列子愚公移山的寓言也被中国共产党第七次全国代表大会闭幕词所引用,是革命精神的重要资源,也是中原学人在新时代增强文化自信、为创造培育中华民族现代文明作出新的贡献的精神动力。

老子德育思想及其当代启示

老子是我国古代著名的思想家和哲学家,是道家学派的创始人。老子的德育思想深受当时所处经济、政治大环境的影响,是在道家学派核心概念“道”的理论基础上逐渐形成的。老子的德育思想内容十分丰富,其中包括“尊道贵德”的德育目标、“贵柔”的德育内容、“不言之教”的德育方法。这些德育思想对于新时代的德育工作具有重要的启示意义,“尊道贵德”启示德育工作要遵循德育规律、“贵柔”启示德育管理向柔性化发展、“不言之教”启示德育工作者要重视隐性德育工作。

论帛书《黄帝四经》对老子美学的继承与发展

大约成书于战国中期的帛书《黄帝四经》是战国黄老道家的代表作。它虽主要是一部政治哲学著作,但散见其中的有关美和艺术的论述却是黄老道家美学思想的体现:一方面,《黄帝四经》将本体之“道”视为人的“神明”之原,而对事物善恶美丑的判断正是“神明”的功能之一,故“道”成为审美判断之基;另一方面,它在论述不同问题时提及的美丑(恶)具有不同的所指,呈现出多义性和模糊性,但它着重强调的是人应该以实事求是、名实相符的态度进行美丑判断。此外,《黄帝四经》还认为对艺术、美色等的欣赏都与“欲”相关,但欣赏艺术、美色等并不会给国家、社会带来灾祸,带来灾祸的是对艺术、美色等的过度享乐。以《黄帝四经》为代表的战国黄老道家美学思想是对老子美学的继承与发展,它无不与政治统治、国家治理相关,其目的是实现“善治美政”,体现出现实性和介入性的特点。

得体乎?未得乎?——宋明理学对邵雍“老子得易之体”一语的讨论与争辩

伴随着理学的兴起与发展,尊儒教、辟异端(主要指释老之学)成为理学家的重要任务.对于老子其人其学,北宋邵雍有一句评语曰“老子知易之体”,此语后被朱熹转述为“老子得易之体”.邵雍的体用论自成一系,与程朱所秉持的“体用一源”的体用论并不相同.“老子知易之体”表达的是老子得易之虚体而未得易之神用.在未深究邵雍体用论的前提下,后世儒者将该语带入“体用一源”的框架内进行理解,将邵雍之意理解为扬老抑儒.朱熹、胡居仁、湛若水、纪大奎等人对此语严加攻驳,而王畿、田艺蘅等人则各辟蹊径,对邵雍之说加以肯定.老子究竟得“易之体”与否?其人其学究竟是体用兼该还是有体无用?这些问题在理学家群体中所引发的持久争辩,反映的是学者对易学主旨、儒道优劣、皇王正道与权谋智术之关系等问题的不同理解.

汪榕培与理雅各英译老庄术语“达意”之辨

老庄经典英译进程中,相去百年的汪榕培、理雅各两种英译本以各自交流性“输出”、学术型“译入”的特质成为跨文化时空性对话的英译经典。通过平行考察上述老庄两译本核心术语的英译实务,着重分析了两译者传达原典关键术语意义“达意”向度、程度上的差异,侧重阐释了两译者翻译“学术”与“普及”观念各从其类的道家英译贡献。

老子“愚人”的艺术精神

老子哲学作为道家哲学思想的代表,同庄子哲学一道,为中国古代艺术精神的形成和发展奠定了基础。“愚人”作为老子哲学中塑造的一个特殊意象,其表现出的“愚”的精神带有深刻的艺术思想内涵。论文试图通过对老子哲学范畴中“愚”的解析,在“俗我之辨”中揭示“愚人”无知、含藏与玄同的特性,并进一步在哲学义旨的基础上,从重质朴、重含蓄和重独立三个方面,对“愚人”中所蕴藏的艺术精神进行探究,论述“愚人”的艺术精神在中国古代艺术中的体现及其影响。