The Study Of The Evolution Of The Editions Of Lao Tzu And The Relation Between Taoism And Confucianism

The study of Taoism and Lao Tzu is a hot spot in the study of the Chinese thinking history. However, because of the uncertain documentary records, since the Han Dynasty, many scholars had begun to question the texts of Lao Tzu, and there had appeared different records of the textual structure of Lao Tzu. During the period between the 1930s and 1970s, there existed a dispute about the two views of the early form and the late form of Lao Tzu in the academic circles. As for the view of the late form, there was a difference between the formation in the early, middle and late Warring States Period, and the formation between the Qin- Han dynasties. After the brocade edition and the bamboo edition of Lao Tzu were excavated in the 1970s and 1990s, the scholars complemented the two editions and the other editions handed down, and denied the two views of the formation of Lao Tzu in the middle and late Warring States Period and that in the period between the Qin-Han dynasties. The scholars also held forth some new ideas on the traditional view of the opposite relation between Taoism and Confucianism. Nevertheless, enough attention has not been paid to the study of the evolution of the editions of Lao Tzu, esp. to the changes of ideas of the relation between Taoism and Confucianism reflected by the revolution. Though questions concerning this were posed, they were not solved scientifically. This thesis attempts to answer such questions through the study of the evolution of the different editions of Lao Tzu, which should be of great benefit not only tograsp and promote all kands of explinations and collations of Lao Tzu, but also to conceive the research and evolvement of Lao Tzu in the future.First, this thesis puts forward the problems concerning this subject at present through a review of the academic evolution of the editions of Lao Tzu and the relation between Taoism and Confucianism and their study history. Second, the thesis studies the development and evolution of the representative editions of Lao Tzu in three different eras, with an attempt to make clear the contents of the editions, their characteristics and their academic status, etc. Then, the thesis compares and analyses their styles, structures, the differences in scripts and the important changes in the relation between Taoism and Confucianism, to find out the logical relation between them and their academic background. Last, from the perspective of methodology, the thesis surveys the traditional beliefs and methods in the study of Lao Tzu, and then puts forward some new views on the related academic issues.This thesis holds that the book of Lao Tzu has gone through a flowing and slow process of evolution, from Guo Dianchu's concise edition (the Guo Dian bamboo edition found in tombs of the Chu kingdom, hereinafter referred to as the Guodian edition), to the brocade edition, and to the nowadays different editions represented by Wang Bi's edition of Lao Tzu. In this process, the book Lao Tzu had gone through constant editions and collations, thus was made to change in style, structure and words, displaying obvious characteristics in different stages: as the edition of Lao Tzu in the mid Warring States Period, the Guodian edition is an early systemic and logic edition of Lao Tzu seen so far, but not the original or the complete edition; the brocade edition of Lao Tzu is the further systematized and more logical version of Lao Tzu formed in the mid and late Warring States Period. Its style that morality comes before doctrine is a reflection of the original form in the development of the edition of Lao Tzu, in which the book began to be classified into different themes. This change of style of Lao Tzu was consciously made by scolars studying the theory of Huang Di and Lao Tzu to the needs of the times. The order with doctrine coming before morality in the nowadays editions of Lao Tzu represented by Wang Bi's edition, had been formed in Hart Fei times. Wang Bi's edition was a good annotation to Lao Tzu, yet is not the established edition. The evolution of the early editions of Lao Tzu has provided the versions of Lao Tzu in different eras, which had their own unique and irreplaceable academic value, and had produced different influences in the Chinese academic history. The style of the quoted edition of Lao Tzu by Han Feizi in his book of Jie Lao and Yu Lao was similar to that in the brocade edition. The edition quoted by Sima Qian should be identical to the system of Wang Bi's edition, whose order with doctrine coming before morality might originate from Han Feizi.According to the contents of thought in different editions, the strong anti-Confucianism expressed in some sentences in the book of Lao Tzu can only be seen in the brocade edition and other present editions of Lao Tzu. These sentences with strong anti-Confucianism were obviously the results of Taosim scolars' alteration since the Guodian edition of Lao Tzu. This alteration should be finished in the brocade edition era. Later, Wang Bi annotated the book of Lao Tzu, and made Taoism and Confucianism begin to merge. This has provided distinct clues for us to probe the evolution of the relation between Taoism and Confucianism. Not only that, the relation between Huang Lao's thought and that of Lao Tzu has also become more clearly defined. The early editions of Lao Tzu and the annotation books related to Lao Tzu had been influenced more or less by Huang Lao's thought. In other words, the formation of these editions in different eras was more or less associated with Huang Lao's thought.Today, with the new data of the brocade edition and the Guodian edition of Lao Tzu, we should start with the requirements of constructing the complete concept of the study of historical data, combine the different editions of Lao Tzu, study Lao Tzu in the chain of the evolution of academy, and understand the related records of Sima Qian's Lao Tzu and Han Feizi Section of the Historical Records in a dynamic and overall way. On the one hand, we don't deny that Lao Dan is the author of the book of Lao Tzu, on other hand, we should be clear that the editions of Lao Tzu formed after the middle of the Warring States Period were the ones which were added and revised by later generations, they were not the so called "established editions". So far, the academic conditions to form the established edition of Lao Tzu have become gradually matured, and the time to organize personnel to form the established edition has come. More revisions or supplements may be made if new editions or data are unearthed. At the same time, the development history of Taoism, the evolution history of the editions of Lao Tzu, and the history of the relation between Taoism and Confucianism should be written to reflect the latest unearthed information and research results.