Tao Te Ching
by Laozi · 道德經
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 4th century BCE
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- Chinese
- Length
- Short · 90 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendTao Te Ching, translated by Stephen Addiss and Stanley LombardoHackett, 1993A spare translation that shows one line of the Chinese characters per chapter; D. C. Lau's Penguin is the scholarly alternative.
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A short Chinese classic of eighty-one brief chapters in rhythmic, often paradoxical verse, traditionally attributed to Laozi, an older contemporary of Confucius, and probably compiled in the fourth century BCE. It teaches the Tao, the way that underlies and cannot be named, and the virtue of following it through non-action, softness, lowliness and emptiness, like water that wears down stone. Addressed partly to rulers, it advises governing so lightly that the people hardly know they are ruled.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Tao Te Ching are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
