1, literary thought
Laozi is a historian of the Zhou Dynasty, so it is not unreasonable for Hanshu Yiwenzhi to say that "Taoists flow and historians build". As for Ban Gu's philosophers, saying that they are all from Wang Guan is another matter. According to Jin Dejian's Lao Dan Theory from the Textual Research of Historians, "the origin of Lao Dan Theory is probably due to the History of the Zhou Dynasty". He listed the statements of historians in Zuozhuan, Guoyu, The Analects of Confucius and Biography of Dai Li, and compared the related materials of 16 with Laozi. For example, "Zuo Zhuan" was published for two years:' Zhong Niwen: only the name of the instrument is not false.' Thirty-two years of Zhao Gong in Zuo Zhuan: Use the name of the instrument carefully, and don't fake people. These words in Zuo Zhuan are obviously the semantic basis of Laozi's "weapon of the country, which cannot be shown to others" (Chapter 36). From the comparison of these materials, it shows that the sentences in Laozi are "knowledge preserved by historians". It can be seen that the knowledge of Laozi and historians has ideological origins.
2. Political thoughts
Without Shang Xian, the people will not dispute; Expensive and rare goods, so that people do not steal; If you can't see what you want, you won't be chaotic. It is ruled by saints. Open-minded, solid belly; Weaken his will and strengthen his bones. It often makes people ignorant and have no desire. Let the husband who knows dare not do it. If you do nothing, you will die.
Laozi put forward his "inaction" thought in the third chapter of Tao Te Ching. Laozi advocated "no Shang Xian" and "make people ignorant and have no desire", and imagined that people would return to a state of "inaction" without contradiction.
Laozi advocates "inaction", advocates letting nature take its course, conforms to heaven, and denies theism. This was one of the more advanced ideas at that time.
3. Philosophical thoughts
Laozi tried to establish a theory that included everything in the universe.
Lao Tzu believes that everything follows this law (Tao):
The interior of the thing itself is not single and static, but relatively complex and changeable. Things themselves are the unity of yin and yang.
Opposing things will transform into each other, that is, yin and yang transformation.
Laozi's Textbook (Part)
Law (morality) comes from the law (Tao) of things.
Laozi's "inaction" is not aimed at "inaction", but at "doing something" Because according to the "Tao" mentioned above, "inaction" will be transformed into "promising".
The genius of this idea is that although it is not aimed at obtaining benefits subjectively, it can achieve benefits better objectively.
From "heaven and earth are not pushed, the sun and the moon are self-evident, the stars are self-ordered, and animals are born." This is natural, why bother? "
Laozi's concept of "nature" is not similar to that of God. The law of all things (Tao) is stipulated by nature, that is, "Tao is natural." Some people misunderstand the meaning of nature here.