2. Dao as the Origin
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
Robert A. Carleo III [+]
East China Normal University
Description
A core concept of early Chinese philosophy is Dao or the “Way.” This is true for both of its major traditions of thought, Confucianism and Daoism, which conceive of Dao in various and philosophically distinct ways. That is to say, it is not a term with definite meaning. Dao as the Origin (Daoyuan) propounds a specifically Daoist conception of Dao—one originated in the Laozi (also known as the Daodejing) and developed in the lineage known as Huang-Lao thought. This ancient lineage integrates the pragmatic politics of the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) with the metaphysical and conceptual insights of the Laozi. It went on to become one of the most impactful ideologies of its time, evolving further into the Legalist thinking under which China was unified in the third century BCE. The core metaphysics of this lineage of thinking, centering on its conception of the indescribable Dao, which is prior to and supports all being, is the focus of this translation presented here.