The Research of Laozi Tao Theory of Guodian Chu Slips

• Main Authors: Wang, Yufen, 王郁芬
• Other Authors: Chi, Tehshiou
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/52481026175909077770

碩士 === 靜宜大學 === 中國文學系 === 100 === This dissertation researches on the thoughts of Guodian Chu Slips. Guodian Chu Slips were excavated in today’s Jingmen district of Hebei province, the original hinterland of Chu in the pre-Qin era. Chu is the cradle of Taoist philosophy. At that time, the regime changed during the Spring and Autumn Epoch and the Warring States; furthermore, the fertile and fecund of natural and human environment of Chu. Because of those elements, the development of Taoism had been shaped. After Guodian Chu Slips unearthed, it subverted most of the scholars’ view of Taoism. Generally speaking, most of the scholars those who thought both Confucianism and Taoism were in opposing agreed that Taoism was negative and criticized the Confucian thoughts severely. However, after Guodian Chu Slips unearthed, its simple text description made a new interpretative direction for the part of the strange thoughts of Laozi which couldn’t be solved. Most of all, the thoughts of Laozi of Guo Jane was presented a positive engaged view; besides, it coexisted with Confucianism peacefully. By comparing the differences between the version of Guo Jane “Laozi” and the original version of Laozi, we can observe the changes of Taoism thought under the passage of history time. Therefore, the concept of Guo Jane was “to govern a country naturally rather than by force or penalty”; however, the original version of Laozi has been extended to the individuals on the State of “cultivate oneself by doing nothing”. Currently, Guo Jian “Laozi” can be defined as the axis of former history of Taoist thought. Guo Jian “Laozi” was the first version of “Laozi” in the world. The bamboo slips separated into a, b, c parts, and the last part was connected with “Taiyi Shengshui”. These four parts were the Taoist motif thought of Guodian Chu Slips. Each part had its theme theory. The Laozi's central theme, the A part, was “the central meaning of Ttao” and “govern a country naturally rather than by force or penalty”. The Laozi's central theme, the B part, was “Cultivate oneself”. The Laozi's central theme, the C part, was “govern a country well”. Taiyi Shengshui was the most special part of the bamboo slips. Because it’s not available for reference on the paper, it can only rely on ancient interpretation, and other cotemporaneous ancient books can take for consultation and comparison. In the course of the study, I found “Taiyi Shengshui” was the best interpretation of Laozi "Taoist nature". Finding from the process, the system of the pre-Qin Taoism was from the nature of Taiyi Shengshui to the Laozi's central theme, the A part “the central meaning of Ttao”, “govern a country naturally rather than by force or penalty”, and the Laozi's central theme, the B part “Cultivate oneself”; furthermore, the C part “governs a country well” also played a supplementary role. Though the numbers of the words in Guo Jane were much less than Silk Manuscript and the original version of “Laozi”, the guodian bamboo slips could be a complete thought system by itself; moreover, Taiyi Shengshui can be used as the source of the beginning of the essential nature of Taoist. Unearthed in Guodian Chu Slips must have its value and significance meaning. Throughout the whole historical thoughts, it has its merits and demerits (e.g. Taiyi Shengshui, the newly unearthed material, the misunderstanding thinking was broke down between Confucianism and Taoism). However, the “Ideological value” can’t be compared to Guo Jian, Silk Manuscript, and the original version of “Laozi”. The reason is that each them has their contribution for nowadays people to find the existence of life.