A Study Of Lao Tzu' Covered Thought

Lao Tzu raised the concept of "covering" in chapter 15 of The Tao Te Ching. In the urtext of "they can offord to seem worn and not appear new and complete", a lot of people debate about the diction of "covering". After the textual research, the thesis considers that Wang Pi's method is better than others'by using two different words to express the meaning of "covering".The "covering" has a special meaning in the philosophy system of Lao Tzu. It is accompanied by and indivisible from the "Thing". It is the provision of the "Thing as the Thing". Lao Tzu thought of the "covering" in the ontological level, which differs it from the "demasking" of Hsun Tzu. We can't consider it as "becloud" in the epistemological level. Thus, instead of eliminating Lao Tzu's "covering", we should protect and reserve it consciously. In this process, on one hand, the people become self-conscious and self-restrained about their gnosia of the thing and its boundary. On the other hand, it can make "the thing as the thing" and "accomplish the thing", which reminds the people to respect the thing. It corresponds to the thinking of Kant who differentiated "phenomenon" from "nonmenon" and the thinking of Heidegger who thought about the "thing", "being" and "man"."Covering" appears only once in The Tao To Ching, but it is not a isolated concept. "Covering" is linked to "Black" and related closely to some core concepts such as "man", "thing", "Tao", "simple" and "truth". Firstly, protection and retention of Lao Tzu's "covering" is similar to the "Black" in "yet always keeps himself within black's shade". Secondly, there is no question in "thing" such as "covering" or not "covering", to relieve or to protect "covering". We don't talk about questions about "covering" until the people begin to recognize and change "thing". Thirdly, protection and retention of the "covering" can retain the ties of matter, which makes the thing become the real thing. Meanwhile it ensures the "simple" and "truth" of the "thing". Fourthly, when ensuring the "simple" and "truth", the "covering" can also make the real "Tao" come. From the above, the "covering" is not a single concept. It is a thought which builds connections among the "man", the "thing", the "Tao", the "simple" and the "truth".The profound meaning of the Lao Tzu's "covering" is to express the attitude of "don't unlock oneself", "don't show off", and "don't walk away from oneself". It reminds the people to protect and watch themselves and to respect the "thing". We should get along harmoniously with the "thing" instead of overtopping them. The above academic meaning of the "covering" corresponds with the people's common attitude towards the "thing" which was advocated consistently by the Lao Tzu. This kind of meaning is combined with the rich meaning of the "covering" and show the inevitability of the "covering"'s appearance in Lao Tzu's philosophy system.