Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching / ed. by Michael LaFargue, Livia Kohn.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Kohn, Livia, Editor.

LaFargue, Michael, Editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Laozi. Dao de jing.

Laozi.

Taoism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 330 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Albany : SUNY Press, [1998]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Examines the traditional and modern Western interpretations of the Tao-te-ching, and its author, Lao-tzu.CHOICE 1997 Outstanding Academic BooksLao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching presents a coherent collection of materials on the ancient Chinese classic and its author, describing traditional and modern Western interpretations. Written and edited by recognized international specialists in the field, this book brings Lao-tzu and the Tao-te-ching together to present current scholarship on their history and interpretation. Contributors include William H. Baxter, Alan K.L. Chan, A.C. Graham, Julia M. Hardy, Yoshiko Kamitsuka, Livia Kohn, Michael LaFargue, Julian Pas, Isabelle Robinet, Benjamin Schwartz, and Liu Xiaogan. Divided into four parts, the book provides a wealth of information on the influential Chinese classic.Part One, "Ancient Myths," discusses who Lao-tzu was, how he developed into a god of religious Taoism, and how his divinity was represented in medieval Chinese sculpture. Part Two, "Chinese Interpretations," discusses the role of the text in traditional China, studying the major commentaries by Wang Pi and He-shang-kung, looking at about thirty commentaries and their philological and doctrinal interpretations and examining the ritual uses the text found in medieval Taoism. Part Three, "Modern Readings," contains a critical discussion of the Tao-te-ching's reception in the West, a general analysis of its major doctrines, and a contemporary Chinese vision of its possible relevance for life today. Part Four, "Critical Methods," presents recent findings on the Tao-te-ching's linguistic structure and probable date, a historical, hermeneutic enquiry into its original meaning, and an evaluative guide to seventeen major English translations.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Tables and Figures

Permissions

Preface

Editors' Introduction

Part I. Ancient Myths

Part II. Chinese Interpretations

Part III. Modern Readings

Part IV. Critical Methods

Appendix: Index to Citations from Tao-te-ching Chapters

Glossary

List of Contributors

)1'dex

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Apr 2025)

ISBN:

1-4384-0948-6

0-585-07801-7