The Radicalism of Lao Tzu

If you have read the Tao Te Ching and you are not shocked by it, then you probably have not read it carefully. You may also have misunderstood it. I read the Tao Te Ching in my Chinese class when I was in high school in Hong Kong. Ancient Taoist philosophy was part of the Chinese curriculum. I remember reading Chapter 19 of the Tao Te Ching. It says:

Abandon saintliness, discard knowledge,

And people will benefit a hundredfold.

Abandon benevolence, discard duty,

And people will return to the family ties.

Abandon cleverness, discard profit,

And thieves and robbers will disappear.

These three, though, are superficial, and not enough.

Let this be what to rely on:

Behave simply and hold on to purity.

Lessen selfishness and restrain desires.

I remember distinctly being shocked to the core. In this particular chapter, it is very clear that Lao Tzu went against mainstream society, traditional morality, and conventional wisdom. I have said many times that Taoism is a counterculture. This is an excellent illustration. Not only is Lao Tzu opposing what the vast majority of the people consider as good and moral, but he also seems to oppose knowledge and…