在美國談老子《道德經》
最近在中國文學歷史課的報告中，我選擇了老子的《道德經》作為主題。原本以為「道」這樣抽象的內容會讓台下同學難以理解，但意外地，我的同學普遍給予了非常好的反饋。有位同學說我的報告「in a flow」，即結構連貫、思路清晰，還有同學特別喜歡我的比喻和視覺化呈現。於是，我決定分享這次報告的內容，包括講稿和 PPT (PPT下面是稿詞)。
其實，選擇這個主題是因為我對形而上的主題相當感興趣，所以即使是課堂報告，我也不想交差了事。為了確保呈現效果，我在報告前還去Center for Speech& Debate 進行了兩次諮詢。第一次是檢查邏輯是否通順，刪去一些雖然我覺得不錯但在銜接上有問題的部分；第二次則是練習講解，並觀察對方的反饋，以便進一步調整內容。下次有機會會寫一篇分析解構文。
此次報告分為三大部分，分別為「什麼是道？」、「二元觀」、「水的比喻」，以及前言和結尾兩小段。
Preface:
Hello everyone, my name is Weilin. I’m going to present the topic of “ Dao De Jing”, which is partially introduced in Tuesday.
I will try to provide some different perspectives and examples to help you gain the deeper insights of the concept of “ Dao ”.
Here is the table of contents that we will cover today.
As we know, Laozi lived in the Spring and Autumn period, a time full of chaos, constant wars, and violence without reason. Laozi, through his deep observations, sought to use the wisdom of the Dao to guide people back to a simpler, balanced way of life.
People often compare Laozi with Confucius, who actively travel around the world to offer his servings. Laozi, on the other hand, seemed to take a more passive approach.
However, I wonder if this perception is accurate.
Before diving into the Dao De Jing, let’s take a moment to understand Laozi’s fundamental way of thinking. There are two key points.
The first one is:
Subtraction Thinking: Instead of complicating ideas with jargon, Laozi’s concept of the “Dao” is surprisingly simple and focuses on removing the excess.
The second one is:
Reversed Logic: Laozi’s logic often goes against common intuition, where true insights are expressed in seemingly contradictory ways. In Chinese we say 「正言若反」.
1. What is Dao?
“If a ‘Dao’ can be named or defined, then it isn’t the true ‘Dao.’
Does anybody remember why Dao can not be explained by words? (Raised a question)
When I first encountered this phrase in college, I was puzzled: why can’t ‘Dao’ be described with words? Eventually, I found the answer is very simple. The reason why Dao can’t be fully described is because of the limits of language. Whenevrt we use languages to name something, we usually wnd up some kind of specific concept to it. But any concept we creates has boudaries. However, Dao is boundless, Dao is just a symbol of truth, and could replaced by other terms, or even without a name.
The sentence suggests that an overload of sensory input can overwhelm us, making it hard to truly see or hear what’s essential. Laozi implies that the ‘Dao’ cannot be perceived through our senses.
Why? Not only are the five senses easily influenced by external distractions, but our bodies also have limitations — for example, our visual range. The farthest we can see is around 5 km, and our hearing range is between 20 and 20,000 Hertz. Our eyes only capture a narrow field, and our ears can pick up only certain sounds, so we can’t grasp the full picture through our senses alone.
The limits of perception are also illustrated in Su Shi’s poem about viewing Mount Lu from different perspectives. It shows that our perspective is always limited; we can never see the whole mountain at once. Similarly, we can never see the full picture of anything.
So, who is right? Everyone sees from their own angle, but no one possesses the complete truth.
Therefore, the sentence tries to convey that Dao is hard to be understood or described through our senses.
This statement contrasts with the previous one, suggesting that true greatness is often beyond visible shape or audible sound because the Dao is boundless.
We can contrast this with the left side, which conveys that the Dao is hard to see, hear, or sense through the five senses because it is formless and shapeless.
For me, “Dao” is like the source of water —
you can’t see its shape, but you can feel its flow and life-giving force. It doesn’t exist in a concrete form, yet it allows all things to follow natural patterns and come into being.
2. Dualistic View
Let’s dive into the idea of duality . Laozi observed that everything in the world has an opposing side.
For example: in Taiwan, I might be considered tall, but if I go to Netherlands, I’d appear short. Am I tall or short? It depends on who you’re comparing with.
Think about university applications. There’s no absolute standard; criteria change and comparisons are made relative to others. The performance good or bad, depends on others. The exam results are meaningful only when compared to others or a set benchmark. This shows that good or bad, higher or low are all relative concept.
Not only the judgements arise through comparison, but the concept is unstable by nature. (Transition to the next example)
Take Chinese beauty standards as an example. In the Tang dynasty, Yang Guifei’s fuller figure was considered the ideal of beauty; if your figure was slender, you might have been considered out of style. By contrast, in the Han dynasty, Zhao Feiyan was celebrated for her slender form; if your figure was fuller, you might have been considered out of style. This shift highlights how values change over time — there is no absolute aesthetic standard.
So, what worldview does Laozi’s philosophy reflect? The world has an opposite side, whether it’s existence versus non-existence, difficulty versus ease, or height versus depth. It acknowledges duality — everything with shape, form, and limits. But the Dao itself? It transcends duality, it transcends all the concepts because it doesn’t change its essence due to external things.
3.Metaphor of water
Laozi often uses water as a metaphor in the Dao De Jing.
Water might seem soft and weak, but it actually holds immense power. Water nourishes all things without competing, and it conquers the hard by being gentle. This is the true nature of water: it doesn’t fight, yet it always finds its way. Whether flowing over mountains or carving through rocks, it eventually gathers to become a powerful force.
We can see how dripping water wears through stone, and how the Grand Canyon was formed by millions of years of river erosion.
This reminds me of Bruce Lee. He wasn’t just a famous martial artist; his philosophy was deeply influenced by Laozi’s teachings. Some of you might know that his daughter even wrote a biography about him, detailing his martial arts philosophy. Bruce Lee often said, “Be like water.” This idea was more than just a fighting technique; it was a way of life. In his fighting style, Bruce emphasized not sticking to rigid forms or patterns. Instead, he taught that one should adapt and flow with the situation, just like water moving effortlessly around obstacles or gathering strength when needed. This fluid approach to combat perfectly embodies the combination of water’s softness and strength. (This example brought a smile to many students’ faces)
Now, some of you might wonder, “Doesn’t being soft or yielding mean you’ll be taken advantage of?” That’s a valid question. My teacher once told me that a person with a strong and steady heart is rarely bullied. Even if someone tries to push you around, staying calm and firm, and simply walking away, is often the best response.
So, let’s learn from the qualities of water: gentle yet strong, adaptable yet unwavering.
Ending:
Last, I want to quote:
“Scholars of the highest class, when they hear about the Dao, earnestly carry it into practice. Scholars of the middle class, when they have heard about it, seem now to keep it and now to lose it. Scholars of the lowest class, when they have heard about it, laugh greatly at it. If it were not (thus) laughed at, it would not be fit to be the Dao. ”
Although Laozi does not provide practical methods, I believe that if you truly seek to pursue it, you will definitely find your way. (In fact, Laozi’s core philosophy doesn’t categorize people into different types; this was simply to encourage the students.)