Xiamen University, School of Humanities, Department of Chinese History, P.R. China
Online published on 15 April, 2014.
Laozi lived in a time of turmoil and political strife, he was stricken by the political decay of his town and decided to move on, however in the process, he decided to live yet one of the most controversial documents that sets out the way to live an ideal life even in an unjust society.
The Dao de jing, a controversial document of its authorship provides an insight of achieving the ideal man that Laozi characterizes, he also sets out a precise philosophical ideal for the government to rule the state.
He propounds a theory that uses nature to understand human nature and personal events; he sees nature as an impartial judge that treats everything equally. He therefore tried to provide a collaboration of the concept of nature to that of the human life.
In view of this he tries to symbolize what the ideal man in this natural phenomenon would be, an ideal man would be that puts himself last and others first, one who welcomes any situation and values everything around him and acts in the simplicity of form but precious at heart
This work sets to examine the core concepts of Laozi, his moral claims, his philosophical ideas, political views and make a comparison with an important Chinese Ideology.
Dao (the way), virtue, nature, ideal, philosophy
