VALUES AND LIMITATIONS OF LAO TZU’S DIALECTICAL IDEOLOGY ON THE WORLD

Abstract

Taoist is a significant philosophical movement in the history of ancient Chinese ideology. It has a profound influence not only on the culture of China but also on the ideology and cultural traditions of many Asian countries. The formation and development of the Taoist school of philosophy are associated with the names of many great philosophers such as Lao Tzu, Duong Tzu, Trang Tzu, etc. which Lao Tzu is the ancestor of the Taoist school. Lao Tzu is a unique phenomenon in the history of ancient China philosophy. He is considered the “half-myth” ideologist of the world, the number one dialectician of the entire Eastern philosophy. His ideology is expressed in only about 5.000 words of the Tao Te Ching but has made a deep impression on many generations from now on. Researching ancient documents and scholarly studies over the past hundred years shows that Lao Tzu’s dialectical ideology about the world greatly values the development of Eastern ideology. Based on the analysis of ancient documents, the judgments and evaluations of scholars, especially the study of the Tao Te Ching, this study clarifies Lao Tzu’s dialectical ideology about the world, and determines the value of this ideology; at the same time, it points out some limitations so that readers can have a more comprehensive view of Lao Tzu’s dialectical ideology in particular and Taoist ideology in general.