49. Laozi: The Classic of the Way and Potency
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
Alexus McLeod [+]
Indiana University
Alexus McLeod is Professor of Religious Studies, Indiana University.
Description
Daodejing (Daode jing), also known as the Laozi after the mythical individual traditionally associated with its authorship, is arguably the central and most revered text of the Daoist tradition, dating to around the 4th century BCE. The text deals with topics such as cosmogony and the origins of things, ethics and effective action, politics and rulership, the art of war, knowledge, change and the nature of the world, and methods for achieving a thriving life. Two central concepts of the text are dao, a metaphysical and ethical concept, identified with a transcendent foundation of being, and de, a kind of potency or effectiveness that is a quality of the developed person who understands the world, enabling effective action generally.