Exploration On The Concept Of Desire In Laozi

The connotation of the concept "Desire" in Classic Laozi is different from which in Confucian. As a kind of intentionality activity, desire has the characteristics of artificial, teleonomy and individual. Since desire is an intentionally behavior, it is a departure from the do-nothing Tao. The desire not only make people get bogged down in the divided things and cannot grasp Dao, but also make far differentiation from Dao. The purpose of Laozi is to hold on the Dao. And the implication of desire is departure from the nature.The emerging of desire is associated with senses. And the perceptual desire is on the opposite side of the rational pursuit of Dao. Laozi doesn't deny man's basic survival needs, but advocate conforming to the nature physiological desire to preserve life, which highlight the affirmation of the perceptual existence. The desire beside the basic survival needs is not only associated with senses, but also the result of coercively heart-and-mind. So Laozi claims to empty the hearts-and-minds of the people and fill their stomachs. On the other hand, since desire is associated with knowing, Laozi suggests to ignorance no desire.Laozi offer many proposal to wipe off desire, such as not making a show of what might be desired, being content with one's lot, ignorance no desire and so on. The inner meaning of these methods is to hold one's true nature and reverse to original world of Dao. Through the whole text, desire is another clue to comprehend the Classic Laozi. Desire is the breakthrough point of the social malady, and is believed to be the fundamental cause of it. The inner meaning of desire is departure from Dao. Based on the reflection of social disputes and moral decay which were due to desire, Laozi put forward a solution of "no desire", trying to rebuild the ideal society and ideal personality and reversing to the world of Dao. Laozi is not the hypocritica anchoret in traditional point of view, he has deep concern with people's existence.