Abstract
This chapter looks at readings of the Laozi as thematically unified, either by key concepts or concerns that underlie its composition or collation. Concepts that have seen as key to unravelling the text include Dao, de, wuwei, and ziran. Concerns that have read as key themes include mystical knowledge, political strategy, views on gender, and significance for science and ecology. These thematic concerns often arise out of implicit comparisons with other traditions, and reflect particular views about the conditions of authorship or formation of the work. For this reason, positing thematic “unity” is usually an alternative to historical and critical approaches to the text that emphasize inconsistencies of voice or theme.
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References
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Additional References
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Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2015). Thematic Analyses of the Laozi . In: Liu, X. (eds) Dao Companion to Daoist Philosophy. Dao Companions to Chinese Philosophy, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2927-0_3
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