The Thread of the Path: The Dao De Jing with Wang Bi's Commentary

The third-century philosopher Wang Bi wrote one of the most influential commentaries on the Daoist classic known as the Laozi or Daodejing, offering an interpretation that radically inverts ordinary ideas about leadership.

According to Wang Bi, the "great dao" described in the Laozi is the nothingness from which things arise and within which they grow and develop. By remaining quiet and unnoticed, rulers can share in the dao's emptiness. Achievements spontaneously arise from such rulers, just as the world of things arises from the dao.

Written in simple, straightforward English, The Thread of the Path enables non-specialists to engage in close textual study of the Laozi and of Wang Bi's commentary. Part I contains a concise translation of both works that preserves much of their ambiguity. Part II works through the Chinese word by word, showing how to get from the original text to Part I's English translation. By consulting Part II, readers can decide where they agree and disagree with various Laozi translations—including this one.

Joseph Dowd holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine, and a B.A. in philosophy and religious studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches philosophy at California State University San Bernardino. He is the author of academic articles on East Asian, South Asian, and medieval European philosophy and the textbook Introduction to Asian Philosophy.