English Question

Essay 2: Interrpreting Lao-Tzu’s Work

We have been reading through Lao-Tzu’s Thoughts from the Tao Te-Ching and we have been trying together to figure out what it all means. And we have been trying to find modern value in the advice given to an Aristocratic Leader even though we live in an era of elected political representatives.

Keep looking to find quotes you like. See which one’s make the most sense. Read a few of them out loud to see if any of them click with you, kind of like the way that one quote relating to a Futurama episode clicked with me.

You Tasks:

Find two meaningful statements with different intentions from Lao-Tzu’s Thoughts from the Tao Te-Ching:

• Explain the meaning of each statement.
• Draw multiple modern contextual connections to each statement.
• Discuss the connection between both of Lao-Tzu’s statements.

Answer preview

The Tao Te Ching’s thoughts are classical literature that has formed the basis for modern religion such as Taoism and Buddhism. It is published by a Chinese philosopher known as Lao Tzu. There are two main philosophies in this classical literature that make sense and have a modern aspect. The first statement is about the danger of overvaluing things and people, which creates envy and leads to theft. The second statement focuses on a wise ruler’s ability to govern the people with content, thus eliminating interests in other countries

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