Publisher's Synopsis
These two volumes contain the complete translation of the texts of Taoism -- texts of antiquity which, up until the second half of the 20th century, were neglected because of the predominance of Confucianism as the official creed of the Chinese world. The reader will find in these volumes the importance of Taoism -- running, as it has done for millennia, through Chinese culture. Fatalism, self-abnegation, the harmony of the universe and, above all, the peculiar stoicism that is not just Chinese but pervades the whole fabric of Eastern culture -- all these and more, are elements of Taoist teaching. In bringing out these two ancient texts, translated by the eminent scholar James Legge, the publishers hope that readers will, come to a closer understanding of Taoism and its similarities with other creeds.
