No one can understand China or be an intelligent citizen of the world without some knowledge of the Lao Tzu, also called the Tao-te ching (The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue), for it has modified Chinese life and thought throughout history and has become an integral part of world literature. Therefore any new light on it, however little, should prove to be helpful.

There have been many translations of this little classic, some of them excellent. Most translators have treated it as an isolated document. Many have taken it as religious literature. A few have related it to ancient Chinese philosophy. But none has viewed it in the light of the entire history of Chinese thought. Furthermore, no translator has consulted extensively the many commentaries regarding the text, much less the thought. Finally, no translator has written a complete commentary from the perspective of the total history of Chinese philosophy. Besides, a comprehensive and critical account of the recent debates on Lao Tzu the man and Lao Tzu the book is long overdue. The present work is a humble attempt to fill these gaps.

This 1963 work is organized as follows:

I. The Philosophy of Tao
1. Historical Background and the Taoist Reaction
2. The Meaning of Tao
3. The Emphasis on Man and Virtue
4. Weakness and Simplicity
5. Unorthodox Techniques
6. Lao Tzu and Confucius Compared
7. Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu Compared
8. Influences on Neo-Taoism, Buddhism, and Neo-Confucianism
9. The Taoist Religion
10. Taoism in Chinese Life

II. Lao Tzu, the Man
1. Traditional Accounts
2. Lao Tzu’s Birthplace and Names
3. Lao Tzu’s Occupation
4. Confucius’ visit to Lao Tzu
5. Lao Lai Tzu and Lao P’eng
6. The Grand Historian
7. Summary and Conclusion

III. Lao Tzu, the Book
1. Reactions Against Tradition
2. Arguments About Contemporary References
3. Arguments About Style
4. Arguments About Terminology
5. Arguments About Ideas
7. Titles and Structure
8. Commentaries
9. Translations

The Lao Tzu (Tao-te ching)