Library of Chinese Classics Chinese-English : Laozi (Daodejing)

Description

Laozi, also known as Dao De Jing, is a Taoist classic. According to legend, it was written by Lao Dan, a native of the state of Chu in late Spring and Autumn Period. The book consists of 81 chapters. Laozi is a record of Lao Dan’s world outlook, political outlook and epistemology. “Dao” is the basic category of the universe that it is independent of all other things, that it is constantly changing, and that it moves in cycles: “De”, on the other hand, is the expansion of “Dao” and its application in life, society and politics. The English translation of the present edition is one of major influence. Before it was reprinted, it had been checked against other translations. Appended is a production of the silk copy of Laozi unearthed at Mawangdui in Changsha in 1972.