Laozi, a study in Chinese philosophy

 

By T. Watters. Distributor: Lulu. $19.99. 160 pages. Paperback UT. 2016 (1870).

T. Watters, whose Guide to the Tablets in a Temple of Confucius stands unique in the translations of Chinese works, offers here a foundation work for those interested in approaching the different themes that emerge from the Daodejing. Mr. Watters first walks us through the live of Laozi and of the Daodejing. He then leads us into relationships between Daoism concepts and speculative physics, politics, ethics, and Confucianism.

This book is not a translation of the Daodejing, but a preliminary study of concepts as they may apply in various aspects of life. The concluding chapter reminds the limits of the study while opening suggestive directions of further exploration.

This edition includes the list of works by T. Watters and a list of over 100 original and additional references generated from the text through the process of editorial verification.

234 transliterated terms have been updated to modern pinyin.

 

Contents

 

  • Editorial notice
  • Preface
  • Chapter I. Introductory
  • Chapter II. The life of Laozi
  • Chapter III. The Daodejing 道德經
  • Chapter IV. General view of Laozi’s teachings.
  • Chapter V. Speculative Physics
  • Chapter VI. Politics
  • Chapter VII. Ethics
  • Chapter VIII. Laozi and Confucius
  • Chapter IX. Conclusion
  • Annexes
    • Concordance List
    • Works by Thomas Watters
    • References, Western
    • References, Laozi Editions
    • References, Chinese
    • References, Supplementary