Lao-tzu And Thoughts Of The Pre-Qin Period

The significance of the study of Lao-tzu and thoughts of the Pre-Qin Period is to understand that, how the interrelation between thoughts of the Pre-Qin Period and society change of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period influenced the transmission and development of Lao-tzu theory. This article examined the historical basis of production of Lao-tzu thought, how the theoretical thinking of ceremonial music civilization has been changed by Lao-tzu to cope with society crisis, and the transition of the thought in the process of the evolution of "Lao-tzu" 's text. Further more, it analyzed the composition and development of Lao-tzu's ideological system, and examined the effect of Lao-tzu thought to various Pre-Qin philosophers, and how various Pre-Qin philosophers absorb and transform the outcome of Lao-tzu's thought, the segment of undertaking and the track of development.This study established on Hou Wailu's special route of the origin of Chinese civilization, this study combined the change of concepts of "Tian Dao" and "Xian Wang" with trend of social thought. Concerning to the examination of trend of social thought, it pays attention to the transition from kin society to geopolitics society during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period. This change caused the separation of society and politics, and promoted various philosophers give an explanation, in respect of cosmology, mind theory, national governance thought and so on, to the new social structure, political system, and mode of production. Looking form the logic of its thought development, cosmology is the metaphysical basis of thoughts of the Pre-Qin Period. And mind theory is the main aspect to communicate the natural order and social order. The establishment of a new social order is the common aim of various philosophers.However, in "Lao-tzu" this issue involves cosmology, mind theory, national governance thought and some other contents. But its content is still in the abstract phase without specific development. These contents are the main content of thoughts of the Pre-Qin Period.The production of the concept of "change" is based on the concept of "nature". The "Change" is a special pattern of the "nature", which is a returning process from the "unnatural" to the "natural". In the field of cosmology, Zhuangzi's "Zi Hua" advocated that the human needs to obey the nature, to make change in the control of the "nature", and to achieve the internal peace with the relative method. "Yi Zhuan" has absorbed Lao-tzu's concept of the natural law. It advocated taking Confucianism's ethical value as the standard to dispel the objective relativity in change.There is a theory premise of the production of mind theory, which is using essence and energy to explain "Tao". Four articles from "Guan Zi" realized this theory transformation, pointing out the significance of "energy" to the universe, as well as the role of "energy" to the body and mind. On this basis, Mencius and Zhuang Zi have developed their respective mind theory. Mencius from inside to outside again to inside, emphasized that the human should start from the conscience, carry on the practice of ethics life, expand the four-terminal in this process, and finally get the "noble spirit". However, Zhuang Zi set off from the angle of denying the sense organ desire, and went through "Xin Zhai", "Zuo Wang", "Sang Wo" to exceed the sense organ desire, returning from outside back to inside. However, after obtaining the original nature, then from inside to outside, the human will integrate into the social life. These two different routes both originated from Lao-tzu's "Xu Jing" and "Kuo Chong". These two concepts are inseparable. Only because the starting point is different, they formed into two methods of cultivation with different focus."Huang Di Si Jing" proposed the proposition of "Tao produces law", from which the social order obtained the metaphysical basis. And it made a combination of Lao-tzu's "Tao" with the real society. On this basis, Xun Zi suggested that "the universe and human are divided". The social order should be independent of the natural order, but can not be separated from the natural order. Thus, Xun Zi's "Li Yi" order established the position of the monarch controlling society and moralized this monarch authority. Different from Xun Zi, Han Fei combined Lao-tzu's "Tao" with politics, and explained that "Tao" is the basis of the "law". Therefore, it made the "law" become a law of people in the world, and made the "tactics" become an ability of the monarch to exercise the authority.