Tao Te Ching · Chapter
What Is the Meaning of the Name Tao? And the Chief Points of the Belief in Taoism explained
This chapter explores the meaning of the term 'Tao' and the core beliefs of Taoism, contrasting Taoist and Confucian uses of 'Tʽien' (Heaven), discussing the impersonal, non-active nature of the Tao, and examining early Western translations
What happens
This chapter explores the meaning of the term 'Tao' and the core beliefs of Taoism, contrasting Taoist and Confucian uses of 'Tʽien' (Heaven), discussing the impersonal, non-active nature of the Tao, and examining early Western translations and interpretations by figures such as Abel-Rémusat, Stanislas Julien, F. H. Balfour, and Herbert A. Giles. It also touches on the paradoxical teachings of Laozi and Chuang-tzŭ, including the idea that the Tao 'does nothing and yet nothing is left undone,' and describes the paradisiacal state of 'perfect virtue' in early Taoist thought.
Themes in this chapter
The Tao as the Ultimate Principle
The chapter explores the Tao as the impersonal, non-active, and all-encompassing principle that covers, protects, nurtures, and matures all things.
Wu Wei (Non-Action or Effortless Action)
The Tao is described as acting without action, free from motive and effort, and the chapter emphasizes that 'the Tao does nothing, and so there is nothing that it does not do.'
Paradox and Reversal
The chapter highlights paradoxical statements such as 'The movement of the Tao by contraries proceeds' and the idea that weakness marks the course of Tao's mighty deeds.
Simplicity and Humility
The Tao is associated with 'the nameless simplicity' and the state of being 'without desire, at rest and still,' which allows all things to go right.
Characters to notice
- Laozi
Author of the Tao Te Ching; his teachings on the Tao, non-action, and the paradoxical nature of the Tao are central to the chapter.
- Chuang Tzŭ
Quoted extensively on the distinction between the Way of heaven and the Way of man, and on the paradisiacal state of 'perfect virtue.'
- Herbert A. Giles
Criticized for translating 'Tʽien' as 'God' in his version of Chuang-tzŭ, which the author argues misrepresents Taoist thought.
- F. H. Balfour
Noted for using 'Nature' as the ordinary rendering of 'Tao' in his translation of Chuang-tzŭ.
- Stanislas Julien
Published a translation of the Tao Te Ching in 1842; concluded that the Tao is devoid of action, thought, and intelligence.
- Abel - Rémusat
First professor of Chinese in Paris; suggested that 'Tao' could be translated by the Greek 'λόγος' in the triple sense of sovereign being, reason, and word.
- Huang Ti
Mentioned in a story about his instructor Kuang Chʽêng-tzŭ, illustrating the mystical transmission of Taoist knowledge.
- Matthew Raper
Brought a Latin translation of the Tao Te Ching to England in 1788, presented to the Royal Society.
Key passages
“Acting without action, and yet attracting all honour, is the Way of heaven. Doing and being embarrassed thereby is the Way of man.”
The Way of heaven operates effortlessly and naturally, earning respect without striving, while the Way of man involves effort and often leads to difficulty.
Chuang-tzŭ's distinction between the Way of heaven and the Way of man, illustrating the Taoist ideal of non-action.
“The Tao does nothing, and so there is nothing that it does not do.”
The Tao, by not engaging in deliberate action, accomplishes everything that needs to be done.
A fundamental axiom of Taoism, emphasizing the principle of wu wei.
“Simplicity without a name is free from all external aim. With no desire, at rest and still, all things go right, as of their will.”
The nameless simplicity of the Tao is not driven by external goals; when one is free from desire and remains still, everything naturally falls into place.
A poetic description of the Tao's nature and its effect on the world.
