A Taoist Classic: The Book of Lao Zi

The Taoist Classic, the Book of Lao Zi also known as Dao De Jing (The Way and Its Virtue), is said to have been written by Lao Zi in the late Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.). The book contains a wealth of dialectic thinking. It interprets the changes of all things in the universe with its Tao (the Way). It advocates contentment with the existing status quo and holding few desires and 'a return of human society to the primeval state characterized by a small nation and a sparse population. The philosophy propounded in The Book of Lao Zi occupies an important position in the history of Chinese thought, for it has influenced Chinese philosophers of the succeeding periods to varying degrees. Since the Han Dynasty, well over a thousand scholars have made annotations to the work, which is very unusual for ancient Chinese books. The book consists of eighty-one chapters, each of which is preceded by a synopsis of its content, and an index of themes.