Lao-tzu and Current Government Essay - 806 Words

Tao-te Ching (in English pronounced â€Å"dow deh jing†) is believed to be written by Lao-tzu (6th century B.C). However, it is not for certain that he wrote the book. Lao-tzu is translated as â€Å"Old Master†. He was born in the state of Ch’u in China. It’s been said that he worked in the court of the Chou dynasty. The day that he was leaving the court to start his own life, the keeper of the gate urged him to write his thoughts as a book. Lao-tzu’s work mostly illustrates Taoism –a religion founded by Chang Tao-ling A.D. 150. His main purpose in this piece is practicing peace, simplicity, naturalness, and humility. Lao-tzu believes that people are overloaded with temporal objects in this world. He recommends his readers to let go of everything†¦show more content†¦For instance, he says â€Å"If you want to be a great leader, you must learn how to follow.† (Lao-tzu 29). Instead, he focuses on introducing Tao- the path to liv e or the way to enlightenment. However, Tao cannot be translated in one meaning. It has different interpretations which depend on the use of the term. As he refers in his book, Tao is the ideal path to live our life and â€Å"Master† is the one that governs people without being felt existed. Lao-tzu pointed out that â€Å"[t]he Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores, by weakening their ambition and toughening their resolve.† (3) By saying this, he meant that people’s desires can negligent them from the real world and that is how the â€Å"Master† leads; by eliminating desires that make people steal and compete for power. On the other hand, Lao-tzu admits that being the best leader, partly depends on how people feel about him/her. As he said in his book, â€Å"Next best is a leader who is loved. Next one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.† (Lao-tzu 17) There are many examples of how successful leaders ca n be when they are being loved by their people. It is a natural act that affects them in being let to stay in power or not. Similarly, governments at the moment face this fact too and as we see throughout the world, governments are being overthrown because of their people’s distaste and hate. That isShow MoreRelatedA Prince By Lao Tzu1754 Words   |  8 Pagesallow everything to harmonize with each other. These ideas come from the writer Lao-tzu in the piece called â€Å"Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching.† Lao-tzu presents many idealist ways in his writing. The main focus is on the idea that people are able to govern themselves and partake in the actions they desire without restraint. As he wisely states, â€Å"Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place (206, Lao-tzu).† This advice is not, however, agreed upon by all humans. Machiavelli, the authorRead More The Ideal State of Today Essay1789 Words   |  8 Pagescreation of the first governmen t. 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