it.
MO TZU, THE FIRST OPPONENT OF CONFUCIUS
CHAPTER 6
THE FIRST PHASE OF TAOISM:
YANG CHU
IN the Confucian Analects, we are told that Confucius, while traveling from state to state,
met many men whom he called yin che, ''those who obscure themselves," and described as persons who had "escaped from the world." (XIV, 39-) These recluses ridiculed Confucius for what they regarded as his vain efforts to save the world. By one of them he was described as the one who knows he cannot succeed, yet keeps on trying to do so." 1
(XTV, 41.) To these attacks, Tzu Lu, a disciple of Confucius, once replied: It is unrighteous to refuse: to serve in office. If the regulations between old and young in family life are not to be set aside, how is it then that you set aside the duty that exists between sovereign and subject? In your desire to maintain your personal purity, you subvert the great relationship of society Lthc relationship between sovereign and subject]." (Ibid., XVI11, 7.)
The Early Taoists and the Recluses
The recluses were thus individualists who "desired to maintain their personal purity.
They were also, in a sense, defeatists who thought (hat the world was so bad that nothing could be done for it. One of them is reported in ihe Analects to have said: "The world is a swelling torrent, and is there anyone to change it? (XVIII, 6.) It was from men of this sort, most of them living far away from other men in the world of nature, that the Taoists were probably originally drawn.
The Taoists, however, were not ordinary recluses who escaped the world, desiring to "maintain their personal purity, ' and who, once in retirement, made no attempt ideologically to justify their conduct. On the contrary, they were men who, having gone into seclusion, attempted to work out a system of thought that would give meaning to their action. Among them, Yang Chu seems to have been the earliest prominent exponent.
Yang Chu s dales are not clear, but he must have lived between the time of Mo Tzu (c.
479-c. 381 B.C.) and Mencius (c. 371-c. 189 B.C.). This is in—
O98 THE FIRST PHASE OF
TAOISM:YANG CHU
dicated by the fact that though unmentioned by Mo Tzu, he, by the time of Mencius, had
become as influential as were the Mohists. To quote Mencius himself: "The words of Yang Chu and Mo Ti fill the world." (Mencius, Illb, 9.) In the Taoist work known as the Lieh-tzu, there is one chapter entitled "Yang Chu," which, according to the traditional view, represents Yang Chu's philosophy. But the authenticity of the Lieh-tzu has been much questioned by modern scholarship, and the view expressed in most of the "Yang Chu chapter is not consistent with Yang Chu's ideas as reported in other early reliable sources. Its tenets are those ol extreme hedonism (hence Forke s title, Yang Chu's Garden of Pleasure"), whereas in no other early writings do we find Yang Chu being accused as a hedonist. Yang Chu s actual ideas, unfortunately, are nowhere described very consecutively, but must be deduced from scattered references in a number of works by other writers.
Yang Chu s Fundamental Ideas
The Mencius says: "The principle of Yang Chu is: 'Each one for himself.' Though he might have profited the whole world by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it.' (Vila, 26.) The Lii -shih Ch un -ch iu (third century B.C.) says: "Yang Sheng valued self."
(XVII, 7.) The Han-fei-tzu (also third century) says: There is a man whose policy it is not to enter a city which is in danger, nor to remain in the army. Even for the great profit of the whole world, he would not exchange one hair of his shank....He is one who despises things and values life." (Ch. 50.) And the Huai-nan-tzu (second century B.C.) says: Preserving life and maintaining what is genuine in it, not allowing things to entangle one's person: this is what Yang Chu established." (Ch. 13.)
In fhe above quotations, the Yang Sheng of the Lii—shih Ch un-ch iu has been proved by
MO TZU, THE FIRST OPPONENT OF CONFUCIUS
CHAPTER 6
THE FIRST PHASE OF TAOISM:
YANG CHU
IN the Confucian Analects, we are told that Confucius, while traveling from state to state,
met many men whom he called yin che, ''those who obscure themselves," and described as persons who had "escaped from the world." (XIV, 39-) These recluses ridiculed Confucius for what they regarded as his vain efforts to save the world. By one of them he was described as the one who knows he cannot succeed, yet keeps on trying to do so." 1
(XTV, 41.) To these attacks, Tzu Lu, a disciple of Confucius, once replied: It is unrighteous to refuse: to serve in office. If the regulations between old and young in family life are not to be set aside, how is it then that you set aside the duty that exists between sovereign and subject? In your desire to maintain your personal purity, you subvert the great relationship of society Lthc relationship between sovereign and subject]." (Ibid., XVI11, 7.)
The Early Taoists and the Recluses
The recluses were thus individualists who "desired to maintain their personal purity.
They were also, in a sense, defeatists who thought (hat the world was so bad that nothing could be done for it. One of them is reported in ihe Analects to have said: "The world is a swelling torrent, and is there anyone to change it? (XVIII, 6.) It was from men of this sort, most of them living far away from other men in the world of nature, that the Taoists were probably originally drawn.
The Taoists, however, were not ordinary recluses who escaped the world, desiring to "maintain their personal purity, ' and who, once in retirement, made no attempt ideologically to justify their conduct. On the contrary, they were men who, having gone into seclusion, attempted to work out a system of thought that would give meaning to their action. Among them, Yang Chu seems to have been the earliest prominent exponent.
Yang Chu s dales are not clear, but he must have lived between the time of Mo Tzu (c.
479-c. 381 B.C.) and Mencius (c. 371-c. 189 B.C.). This is in—
O98 THE FIRST PHASE OF
TAOISM:YANG CHU
dicated by the fact that though unmentioned by Mo Tzu, he, by the time of Mencius, had
become as influential as were the Mohists. To quote Mencius himself: "The words of Yang Chu and Mo Ti fill the world." (Mencius, Illb, 9.) In the Taoist work known as the Lieh-tzu, there is one chapter entitled "Yang Chu," which, according to the traditional view, represents Yang Chu's philosophy. But the authenticity of the Lieh-tzu has been much questioned by modern scholarship, and the view expressed in most of the "Yang Chu chapter is not consistent with Yang Chu's ideas as reported in other early reliable sources. Its tenets are those ol extreme hedonism (hence Forke s title, Yang Chu's Garden of Pleasure"), whereas in no other early writings do we find Yang Chu being accused as a hedonist. Yang Chu s actual ideas, unfortunately, are nowhere described very consecutively, but must be deduced from scattered references in a number of works by other writers.
Yang Chu s Fundamental Ideas
The Mencius says: "The principle of Yang Chu is: 'Each one for himself.' Though he might have profited the whole world by plucking out a single hair, he would not have done it.' (Vila, 26.) The Lii -shih Ch un -ch iu (third century B.C.) says: "Yang Sheng valued self."
(XVII, 7.) The Han-fei-tzu (also third century) says: There is a man whose policy it is not to enter a city which is in danger, nor to remain in the army. Even for the great profit of the whole world, he would not exchange one hair of his shank....He is one who despises things and values life." (Ch. 50.) And the Huai-nan-tzu (second century B.C.) says: Preserving life and maintaining what is genuine in it, not allowing things to entangle one's person: this is what Yang Chu established." (Ch. 13.)
In fhe above quotations, the Yang Sheng of the Lii—shih Ch un-ch iu has been proved by
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