Reading the Dao: A Thematic Inquiry

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The Dao De Jing represents one of the most important works of Chinese philosophy, in which the author, Lao Zi (c. 580-500 BC), lays the foundations of Taoism. Composed of 81 short sections, the text itself is written in a poetic style that is ambiguous and challenging for the modern reader. Yet while its meaning may be obscure, the text displays the originality of Lao Zi's wisdom and remains a hugely influential work to this day.

In Reading the Dao: A Thematic Inquiry, Wang Keping offers a clear and accessible guide to this hugely important text. Wang's thematic approach opens up key elements of the Dao De Jing in a way that highlights and clarifies the central arguments for the modern reader. Presenting comprehensive textual analysis of key passages and a useful survey of recent Taoist scholarship, the book provides the reader with an insight into the origins of Taoist philosophy. This is the ideal companion to the study of this classic Taoist text.

Reviews

... a comprehensive overview of Laozi's Daoism for anyone unfamiliar with the DDJ and Daoism. It is clearly written, thematically formulated, and supplemented with helpful commentaries... [the English translation] is lucid and clear while following the poetic spirit of the original text, which makes the book delightful to read. -- Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Wang (Beijing International Studies Univ. China) has written a significant translation and commentary on Daodejin... Overall, he offers an immensely enjoyable, scholarly reading experience of the Daodejing. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. -- CHOICE

Author Bio

Wang Keping is a Research Fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Professor of Philosophyat Beijing International Studies University, China. His previous publications include The Classic of the Dao (Foreign Languages Press, 1998) and Ethos of Chinese Culture (Foreign Languages Press, 2007). He has also contributed articles to a number of edited collections, includingContemporary Chinese Philosophy edited by Chung-Ying Cheng and Nicholas Bunnin (Blackwell, 2002), The Challenges of Globalization edited by Steven Hicks and Daniel Shannon (Blackwell, 2007) and The Pursuit of Comparative Aesthetics edited by Mashar Hussain and Robert Wilkinson (Ashgate, 2006).