CONTENTS

Introduction

The Book ofLao Zi

Index of Themes

INTRODUCTION



To sum up, there are three different opinions about Lao Zi

(Lao Tzu) as a historical figure and The Book of Lao Zi (also

known as Dao De Jing/Tao Te Ching or The Way and Its Virtue)

which he allegedly wrote.



The first one is that The Book of Lao Zi elaborates and

explains the teachings left behind by Lao Zi, and that Lao Zi was

actually born before Confucius (551-479 B.C.). Those who first

supported this opinion include Ma Xulun, Zhang Xu, Tang Lan,

Guo Moruo, Lu Zhenyu, Gao Heng, and the Russian Sinologist

with the Chinese name Yang Xingshun.



The second opinion is that Lao Zi lived during the Warring

States Period (403-221 B.C.) and The Book of Lao Zi was com-

piled then. Those who first put forward this opinion are Wang

Zhong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), modern scholars Liang

Qichao, Feng Youlan, Fan Wenlan, Luo Gengze, Hou Wailu and

Yang Rongguo.



The third opinion is that Dao De Jing was compiled during

the times between the Qin Dynasty and the Han (221 B.C.-

A.D.22O), the advocates of which include Gu Jiegang and Liu Jie.



I would basically assent to the arguments set forth by the

advocates of the first opinion, and my reasons are as follows.

First, before the Qin Dynasty, historical documents lilce The Book

ofZhuang Zi (English edition published in 1989 by the Foreign

Languages Press under the title Chuang-tzu), The Book of Xun

Zi, The Book ofHan Fei Zi, Lil 's Spring and Autumn Annals and

The Book of Mo Zi, never questioned in any way the relation of

Lao Zi to his doctrines.



All authors of these books have a roughly identical descrip-

tion of Lao Zi. Their description of Lao Zi's doctnne is in accord

with the central thought of The Book of Lao Zi. After the

mid-Warring States Period, various schools were profoundly in-

fluenced by Lao Zi. In philosophical thought up to the early years

of the Han Dynasty, the relationship among Lao Dan, Li Er and

Taishi Dan was confused so that there was a period of more than

two hundred years when dating Lao Zi, and even Lao Zi as an

historical figure, became uncertain.



Secondly, the compilation of The Book of Lao Zi lasted a

considerable length of time. The texts and records before the Qin

Dynasty were hardly written by a few individuals independently,

and only through a long period of elaboration and supplementa-

tion by disciples of the schools concerned, did they assume their

final editions. Such a period was as long as one or two centuries

or more. For example, the compilation of The Book of Changes

(Yi Jing, also known as 1 Ching, author unknown) lasted at least

five centuries or more; Mo Zi's text, Mo Jing, appeared more than

one century after Mo Zi died; The Book of Guan Zi covered

various schools of thought popularized from the Spring and

Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) to the early Han period; the

compilation of Sun Zi 's Art of War went through a long period

of collection. Additionally, The Analects of Confucius, The Book

of Xun Zi and The Book of Han Fei Zi, whose authenticity was

scarcely suspected, were mixed up with the materials added later

by Confucian scholars in the Han Dynasty. But we have no

reason, because of this, to doubt that Confucius, Mo Zi, Han Fei

Zi and Xun Zi were founders of the basic concepts contained in

these books. The Book of Lao Zi is no exception, and it cannot

postdated merely because evidence of certain ideas emerging in

the time of the Warring States Period was found.



Thirdly, some concepts in The Book ofLao Zi were already

popular prior to Lao Zi, such as "nonaction," "valuing tender-

ness" and disbelieving in the "will of Heaven," which had ap-

peared in embryonic form as early as the Spring and Autumn

Period, although they were not generalized as universal philo-

sophical principles.

Ren Jiyu (bom 1916)



A graduate of the Beijing Universi-

ty Philosophy Department Liberal Arts

Research Institute, Ren Jiyu has served

as a professor at Beijing University, a

research fellow at the Chinese Acade-

my of Sciences World Religions Re-

search Institute and as a teacher at the

Chinese Academy of Sciences Grad-

uate School over the course of a long

and distinguished career. For decades

absorbed in the study of Buddhism,

Confucianism and Taoism, Ren is the

author of a number of works on

Chinese philosophy and religion in-

cluding The History of Chinese Philos-

ophy (in 4 volumes) and Collected Es-

says on Chinese Buddhism, and the

chief editor of The History of Chinese

Taoism, The History of Chinese

Buddhism (in 8 volumes), A History of

the Development of Chinese Philosophy

(in 7 volumes), A Dictionary of Reli-

gion, and Zhong Hua Da Zang Jing:



The Complete Buddhist Canon (Chinese

edition, 45 volumes published out of

a planned 200-volume set).