Lao Tzu and the “Tao Te Ching” Laozi or Lao Tzu‚ was a mystical philosopher who lived in ancient China. Most scholars believe Lao Tzu was born around 600 B.C.E. However‚ some authorities have him being born about 500 B.C.E. and some‚ question if Lao Tzu was actually a person or just a mythical figure. Generally‚ the majority of scholars believe Lao Tzu to be an actual person being born about 600 B.C.E. in the state of Ch’u‚ now known as the Hunan Province in Southern China according to
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Discussion Questions 4 1.) According to Lao-tzu‚ what must the ruler provide the people with if they are to be happy? “Try to make people happy‚ and you lay the groundwork for misery.” According to Lao-tzu‚ in order to make the people happy‚ the ruler must stop insisting that they find happiness. In verse 66‚ Lao-tzu describes‚ “All streams flow to the sea.” By saying this‚ he is describing that a government must take a position underneath its people in order to ensure their happiness. The government
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)Compare Lao-tzu’s view of government with of Machiavelli in the next selection. Consider what seem to be the ultimate purposes of government‚ what seem to the obligations of the leader to the people being led‚ and what seems to be the main work of the state. What comparisons can you make between Lao-tzu’s Master and Machiavelli’s Prince. Summary: The writings of Machiavelli and Lao Tzu indicate that they would disagree most strongly on the concept of how a government should run. Machiavelli
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Lao-Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher during the 6th century. Conversely‚ Machiavelli was an Italian historian‚ author‚ diplomat‚ philosopher‚ and politician that lived almost two thousand years later during the Renaissance. Although both are from completely different times and cultures; neither would disagree that leadership is essential in the success or failure of society. After all‚ at its simplistic core government is just a hierarchy of leadership that exist to serve its fellow citizens
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Lao-Tzu‚ Machiavelli‚ and the American Government Lao-Tzu’s "Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching" and Machiavelli’s "The Qualities of a Prince" both have the ultimate goal of making better leaders. The tactics that each writer chooses to present as a guide for the leader are almost opposite of each other. Today’s American government would benefit from a combination of the two extreme ideas. Lao-Tzu’s laissez-faire attitude towards the economy‚ as well as his small scale‚ home defense military is
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1 Kayla Short English 2 12:30 PM Class The way in which a leader governs his country can differ for different countries. Two polar opposites would be Lao-Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli. They’re both on opposite sides of the spectrum for their ideas on how a leader should govern. Lao-Tzu leans more towards a less intrusive government‚ while Machiavelli believes in powerful rulers. Some of their ideas are shown today in our society‚ some good and some bad. Starting with Machiavelli‚ he says
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Lao-Tzu - Journal The concepts and ideas of the Tao-Te Ching may be a hard to grasp at first‚ but that is partially the point. For “The tao that can be told‚ is not the eternal Tao (Verse 1). Those who think they know everything‚ do not. It does not help to know the Tao‚ it just is. To think like Lao-Tzu‚ a person must let go of everything they think they know. Today‚ this is a very difficult task for most because there is so much a person stands for and believes in. However‚ The Tao-Te Ching
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“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” (Lao Tzu Quote." BrainyQuote. Xplore‚ n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2016.) Lao Tzu is letting us know that life is eccentric that there are numerous progressions out there and that we ought to acknowledge them and live peacefully with it. Living in a universe of oblivious euphoria sounds less demanding‚ in spite of the fact
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effect of actions revolve mostly around how people treat each other. Lao-Tzu largely focuses on how a leader treats his people in “Thoughts from the Tao-te Ching”. He encourages those in power to not force anything in their actions but to just go with the flow of what is occurring around them. When this is done and when the leader actively works for peace‚ avoids war‚ and follows the Tao‚ the country is at its greatest. Lao –Tzu advises that the people should be left to themselves and to lead so subtly
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stillness and non-action. This idea is discussed in Dao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. Taoism achieves attentions and significance from philosophers and literature scholars as Taoism gets interpreted in many different ways. As a companion of Dao Te Ching‚ The book of Chuang Tzu is the second most influential and popular literature that concerns with the interpretation and application of Taoism. Different from Tao Te Ching‚ The Book of Chuang Tzu elaborates on Taoism with philosophical fantasy narratives and poetries
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