Lao tzu

Lao tzu, which in Chinese means "old master", is the name of the legendary essay that lived in China around the sixth century BC, founded the Taoist philosophy and, on the verge of death, gathered his thoughts in the 81 fragments that make up the Tao te ching, the book that illustrates the characteristics of the Tao and reveals the principles of non-action.

Lao tzu (5th century BC - Immortal): the Socrates of the East

The exact date of birth of the legendary Lao tzu is unknown, but what is certain is that he was a contemporary of Confucius (VI-V BC).

Any other information on the master is lost between myth, legend and doubtful historical sources. One of the most credible theses - advanced at a later date by some Chinese scholars and by HH Dubs, a professor at the University of Oxford - is that which claims that Lao tzu was the father of a certain Tuan-kan Tsung, general of the town of Wei in the year 273 BC, and that he is the author of the text known by the name of Tao te ching .

Nothing written, except the Tao te ching

A father of Taoist philosophy, Lao tzu has gained ranks of followers despite not having written down any of his ideas, as a sort of Taoist Socrates . The essay believed that through written words one ended up crystallizing what by nature is fluid and changeable: thought . But legend has it that when he left to die alone in late age, the Guardian of the Pass, the one who stands at the threshold between life and death, asked him to transcribe his thoughts. Therefore Lao-tzu wrote a two-part book for a total of about five thousand characters, the Tao te ching (Book of the Way and of Virtue ), which reads: "The Tao that can be said is not the eternal Tao" .

Lao tzu believed that human life was constantly influenced by forces that cannot be described in words that man finds in himself when he observes the oscillations of his moods with sincerity. This search is fostered by a mental condition of creative calm, inner emptiness and "non-action" ( wu wei ). In Taoist philosophy there is no opposition, but polarity, there are no absolutes, but dynamic, complementary elements.

Confucius and Lao tzu compared

The idea of non-action is also reflected in the Taoist conception of society: when the government is administered with a free spirit and a far-sighted vision, the people lead a quiet and comfortable life; on the contrary, when the administration is mired in bureaucracy, the people encounter difficulties that sooner or later lead to revolt.

Some critics claim that in the Tao te ching one can see direct attacks on the ideas of the Confucius school. This is because Confucianism provides a set of rules and rites that govern human relationships and behavior, indicating the right path to follow in every occasion and circumstance. The observance of rituals is the ideological basis of traditional Chinese society and still retains considerable influence. In reality, recent critical studies on the aoist philosophy and Chinese thought tend to re-evaluate the points of contact between the two schools, both inspired by a tension towards personal harmony based on collective well-being and social harmony.