The Laozi presents practical poetry, anti-theoretical philosophy, inconsistent logic, atheistic religion, daily metaphysics, earthly mysticism, non-active politics, and ancient feminism. This plurality of ideas and interpretations is perhaps a major attraction to many human minds, occupied in the modern world with a text that was composed over 2,000 years ago. The Laozi or Daode Jing is still open to deliberation and sinological debates regarding its versions, its time and its authorship; and the manifold versions of translation prove that the text is still open to disparity and dissent. In the seminar we will discuss the versions to Laozi's life or to the Laozi's authenticity, the even a more numerous variety of interpretations to the text and its denotations, and the implications of this puzzle on its ideas.

 Prerequisite: Participation in the Introduction to Chinese Philosophy or complementary introductory reading

Grade:40% - active participation (including 3 short papers); 60% - final paper.