The Taoist Sage as Philosopher-King

十三

老子

~What does Lao Tzu mean by the philosopher-king? Why does he argue for the employment of the sage to be the ruler?

~What is the difference between a ruler who is a sage and one who is not? What advantages would the sage have over others as ruler?

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Lao Tzu considers the sage as the ideal human being and more so the philosopher-king because he is a living manifestation of the Tao. The sage is one who understands and loves the Tao and so in return the Tao is close to him.

Chan, 1963

He who understands Nature penetrates the way of the sage, and possesses the virtue of emperors and kings… The sage is tranquil not because he says to himself, “It is good to be tranquil,” and therefore became tranquil. He is tranquil because nothing disturbs him.

The philosopher-king is one who can clear up the muddy water to make way by being tranquil. Having perfected and understood the ways of nature, he is one who in in synch with her. He understands her and knows when it is time or when it is not. He hears her and he hears himself amidst all the noises in the world therefore he knows himself. He knows the Tao and so he does not give in to his desires. He is one with nature and one with his fellow man, therefore he resounds harmony- To be in harmony with men means human happiness, and to be in harmony with Nature means the happiness of Nature (Chan, 1963). The philosopher-king is aware and so he takes great care not to overflow. 

The sage is kingly and he knows how to rule. He is one with Nature and being one with Nature implies that he is in harmony with the Tao. The philosopher-king takes no action but everything is done- because by taking no action, one can be able to fulfil his duty properly. He also keeps to the black (humility) and to the white (glory), the male and the female, the yin and the yang. He embodies the water and so he is weak and gently yet he is very strong. He is like an infant, weak and helpless but full of energy and potential. A philosopher-king is an uncarved wood!

Chan, 1963

In tranquility he becomes a sage, and in activity, and in activity he becomes a king. He takes no action and is honoured. He is simple and plain and none in the world can compete with him in excellence.

And because the philosopher-king knows the black and the white, he is fit in his role as the man of the people. Like an uncarved wood, he places himself bellow them through the humbleness and sincerity of his words. He does not put himself forward just so the people will recognise and respect him. He puts himself forward to protect the people and his actions are returned when it is due. He makes his decisions directed to the Tao and never for his own personal advantage.  

Chan, 1963

When water is tranquil, its clearness reflects even the beard and the eyebrows. It remains definitely level, and master carpenters take it as their model. If water is clear when it is tranquil, how much more so is the spirit? When the mind of the sage is tranquil, it becomes the mirror of the universe and the reflection of all things. 

The philosopher king embodies with him the characteristics of non-action, non-knowing, and non-desiring (Wood, n.d.). He lives by the virtues of the Tao and lives for the benefit of nature. The philosopher-king truly is the manifestation of the Tao. 

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哲学 Synthesis Paper: 2A

哲学

老子

What is philosophy as demonstrated in Ancient Chinese Philosophy…

1. by Lao Tzu…

A. in the way he perceives the philosophical problem?

Lao Tzu deems that problems resulting in the lack or the absence of natural harmony is caused by the absence of the Tao. The Tao is that which bring things together and connects them. It is that which organises things and allows them to influence one another (Rawson & Legeza, 1963) and so without the Tao there will be disruptions in the process of nature that would inevitably result in natural disharmony. Lao Tzu also believes that this natural disharmony is caused by knowledge and desire and so for him, they are harmful because they drive man too seek out for what is not essential to them and allows knowledge and desire to control his life and his behaviour. Knowledge prompts man to discriminate and distinguish from is and what is not. Knowledge also influences our desires to the point that we are lead away from the middle ground. 

Both knowledge and desire cause disharmony because they are not natural: too much or too little. Being able to distinguish that which is pleasurable to the senses is also a keynote in understanding what knowledge is for Lao Tzu. What is natural is you know when to stop and when not to stop. Sleep when you are sleepy and wake up when it is time for you to wake up. For Lao Tzu, the problem is natural harmony which is caused by the absence of the Tao because of man’s want for knowledge and man’s indulgence of his desires. Additionally, for Lao Tzu, natural disharmony happens when man begins to attach himself to the material and the superficial, these that which are not natural. 

Man’s elevation in the society also causes natural disharmony. Lao Tzu believes that man should stay pure and keep away from the things that can harm him by not losing sight of the Tao. However, man’s success and prosperity often opens up another path for him to tread on- a path opposed to the Tao. When he takes this road, he attaches himself to his achievements and his properties and it gets into his head. He becomes gaudy and there is excess in his ways. He speaks even if he does not know and rushes here and there, quick on his toes, to claim things that he did and he did not do. And so man finds this very pleasurable to the senses and his desire goes overdrive, making him contrary to the man that he used to be when he was more simpler, more natural. The uncharted wood is no more and from this, natural disharmony occurs. 

Rawson & Legeza, 1973

…the aim is harmony: harmony between the components of the dialectic situation, leading to harmony between each man and his turbulent universe, and an ultimate tranquility. But harmony is impossible without ‘forces’ to harmonise, and of little value unless those forces are themselves at high power.

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Humility

老子

十

~What does Lao Tzu mean by humility? Why is it important in the face of the Tao?

~How is humility expressed? How can it not lead to fatalism or quiet resignation?

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Plato’s Apology of Socrates (23b)

“He among you humans is wisest who, like Socrates, knows that he’s really worth nothing when it comes to wisdom.”

Lowering oneself is humility- genuine humility and simplicity has been paralleled to a piece of an uncarved wood that is simple and plain but genuine and it is in man’s simplicity that which makes him stand out.

Genuine humility have become a rarity today where material possessions, established family names, intelligence, and professional titles have become the markers of the person’s whole identity and it carries with it the constant desire to be acknowledged. There is always something to parade around. There is always something to be proud of. And so modesty has become a treasure or a jewel, as it has been considered in the Taoist Philosophy. The Three Jewels (or The Three Treasures) should be behind all the things that you do, no matter great or small. Compassion, moderation, and humility will lead you to the path of courage, generosity, and leadership. 

We want people to know us: who we are and what we have done. When we have achieved something we want the whole world to know about it. We want people to look up to us and treat us with great importance. We want to be the priority in everything. We want people to accommodate us and so meekness has escaped, in hiding, until we can find it again and retain tie it back to our identity, hopefully for good. Man has driven away humility by competing against each other. A modest person does not allow people to fuss over him and so he keeps away and stay on the sidelines. Like nature, one should work in humility. Nature works silently and takes no claim in its products. Nature works and execute its task in silence. The concept of Locke’s property can be attributed to humility: where there is no property, there is no injury. If you do not take claim to an achievement then it will be not be taken away from you. The lack of humility in one’s life invites danger.

Doctrine of the Mean, 33

“Over her brocaded robe, she wore a plain and simple dress, for she disliked the loudness of its colour and patterns. Thus the way of the superior man is hidden but comes more prominent every day…”

And so our need to display will only complicate and delay everything because our desire for recognition arouses another fight amongst us, an in-group fight, contradicts the roles that we are supposed to play in our jobs. A person who constantly boasts about his spoils will soon be deemed arrogant because he lacks the virtue to stay modest and his gloating will only attract trouble. Power is not privilege to stand above others and make decisions based on his own self-interest. In making a speech, he does not stand on the platform but remains on the ground, equal to the people. A humble leader is one who does not throw people under the bus and take credit for everything. And so Lao Tzu wants us, leader or not, to be like water: soft yet strong, flexible yet unbreakable, and because water is weak, it can surpass everything. 

Tao Te Ching, 22

He does not show himself; therefore he is luminous.

He does not justify himself; therefore he is given credit.

He does not brag; therefore he can endure for long.

A person with a lesser position should not design his goal towards the elevation of his position. He should direct his efforts straightly and aim to complete his own specified job. He should focus and do his own work and keep his nose away from the work of others. Credit will be given when it is due. A humble man is one who takes great care not only of his cup but of the water lest it overflows. 

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The Tao as the Origin

老子

四

~What does Lao Tzu mean by the Tao (Way)? What is its basic principle?

~How does the Tao operate as the origin of all things?

~What role does the Tao play in the philosophy of Lao Tzu?

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Fung, 1948

The Tao of Taoism is the unitary “that” from which springs the production and change of all things in the universe.

Tao, as the source of all things, even if formless, is beyond heaven and earth and the Tao, as the origin of all things, bring harmony to it all. It cannot be seen, cannot be heard, and cannot be felt, it is unfathomable and obscure. The Tao as everything and nothing can be seen in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire’s Faceless Men. You have to lose your identity in order to become someone. This is comparable to the Tao since it can be considered as the source of existence and non-existence and by becoming no one, you can become someone. 

Action and non-action also center on the Tao, with non-action (wu-wei) as “taking no action that is contrary to Nature (Chan, 1963). This shows that Tao and Nature go together. Letting go and allowing things fall into their own place naturally is  the Way. The Tao also speaks of the Unity of Opposites, about Yin and Yang, and this concept is central in its doctrines because equilibrium is of utmost important to the Tao. By achieving this state of balance and harmony, the Tao also sets its goal on being able to unite with nature. As an example, let us look at the Taoist philosophy and the Taoist religion. Both may be the same but in fact, they are not. Taoist philosophy teaches that nature must be followed while Taoist religion is set to work against nature (Fung, 1948)

And so the Tao, as a whole, is the source of all there is, the supreme, the boundless and indescribable, formless and infinite, and above all, the Tao is natural. 

The essence of the Tao refers to several terms just like Confucianism. The Tao goes by wu and yu (non-being and being), yu-wei and wu-wei (action and non-action), yu-ming and wu-ming (namable and unnamable), the (virtue), tzu jan (naturalness), yin and yang, and ch’i (cosmic energy). It is also duly noted that as Tao gives birth tho things (or the ten thousand things), a lot of things also take part in complete them. That being so, it does not come as a surprise when Tao is also considered as the Mother of All Things (Great Mother). 

Fung, 1948

Lao Tzu speaks about the unnamable. Not everything that lies beyond shapes and features is unnamable. Universals, for instance, lie beyond shapes and features, yet they are not unnamable. But on the other hand, what is unnamable most certainly does lie beyond shapes and features. The Tao or Way of the Taoists is a concept of this sort.

Comparable to the Science of Identity Foundation, a group that believes and practices Hinduism, they deeply believe in the Bhagavad-Gita stating that we are all but part and parcel of Krsna. Even in a single grain, a drop of water, a lone leaf floating in the air, Krsna is there. And this is to say that the Tao, Mother of all Things and Origin of All Things, appear to be everywhere and at the same time nowhere. Tao also acts as the energy behind all things. It acts as the very essence of things and that is to say that it also acts as the energy of the essence behind Taoism.

Tao Te Ching, 14

Meet it and you will not see its head.

Follow it and you will not see its back. 

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