Abstract
This article examines whether the common paradox of the Dao 道 arises in the Laozi 老子. More specifically, it inquires if the Laozi text really asserts that the Dao is ineffable, while also speaking of the Dao. Most scholars recognize that the common paradox of the Dao arises in the Laozi, though others disagree. This article argues that neither of the representative claims—for and against the common paradox of the Dao—is successful. Instead, it proposes a revised form of the paradox of the Dao, the name paradox, through alternative interpretations of related passages of the Laozi.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Huang Yong and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this article. This article was supported by the Korea University Grant (2011).
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Oh, S. A Re-examination of the Paradox of the Dao. Dao 16, 483–501 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-017-9573-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11712-017-9573-7