TOW #19 Tao-te Ching by Lao-tzu

            Reading Goals

-Pick a text that is challenges my reading level                                                                                              -Chose a text that is outside of my comfort zone                                                                                             -Read the passage 3 times in order to get the most information out of it: the first time to get a general idea, the second time to close read/annotate and the third time to solidly the overall purpose                                                                                                                                                                                   

  Writing Goals                                                                                                                                         -Include an intro that draws in the readers attention as well as introduce the idea of the passage                                                                                                                                                             -Have a flow throughout that includes transitions from one idea to the next                                                     -Chose words carefully and make everyone count                                                                                        -Outline what I’m going to write before starting  

Rulers are not simply born with the knowledge on how to keep themselves on the proper moral path while still ruling their subjects hence why in most cases they must learn it from others who have a better understanding as to what it means to follow the proper route. Tao-te Ching is a document written in China roughly around the time of Confucius that is as much about moral behavior as it is about political guidance. Lao-tzu is the author of Tao-te Ching and it is from this piece along with his other works that it is believed that the beginning idea of Tao were formed. The passage urges the future rulers to follow the Tao, which is a term that cannot be easily translated into English but can be best summed as “the way to live.” Tao is also the center of the still prevalent belief of Taoism, The purpose of Tao-te Ching is to pass down and follow the philosophy of the Tao based

Depiction of Lao-tzu

moral and political path. Lao-tzu believed that an effective ruler should not be completely in control, but rather supply the people with what they need and let the people follow their own paths. The structure of the document is one that resembles a poem. The different parts of the passage are split up into stanzas and there is a certain rhythm to the whole piece. A poem like structure allows the audience to not only to read the words that are written, but also to follow the exact flow of breaths and rests that Lao-tzu had in mind. The structure allows Lao-tzu to control how his audience takes in his information and truly think about the ideas that he is laying forth. Within the poem like structure Lao-tzu utilizes multiple examples of anaphora throughout stanzas, which allows more emphasis to be put on Lao-tzu’s Tao ideals. One of the ideals is “The more prohibitions you have, the less virtuous people will be. The more weapons you have, the less secure people will be. The more subsides you have the less self-reliant people will be” the power that Lao is able to get by repeating the use of contrasting less and more is essential to showing the belief of Tao. Anaphoras were essential in weaving together Lao-tzu’s political and moral philosophies. I personally felt that the purpose of Tao-te Ching was achieved. The piece is an incredible piece of history and although I feel like many of his political ideas are off base in regards to present day society they are still complete ideas that could have effectively helped an early Chinese ruler guide his people.