This is an introductory guide to the Dao de Jing, exploring key themes and passages in this key work of Daoist thought. 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.

Author Biography

Wang Keping is a Research Fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Professor of Philosophy at 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, including Contemporary 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).