Re-interpreting Dao De Jing from an Ecological Perspective

Dao De Jing contains the essence of Chinese philosophy and to study Dao De Jing from an ecological perspective in this article is to trace the ecological elements in this ancient Chinese philosophical work and its manifestation in literature east and west, past and present. This article examines how the principle of the harmony (unity) between nature and human beings is embedded in both this canonical book and the other Confucian classics—its pre- and after-life in the Four Books and Five Classics, especially the Book of Changes. Through analyzing the three sorts of harmony: between human beings and nature, between yin and yang, and between various obstacles, the article argues that the ecological concept in the book not only has had a deep impact on ancient Chinese people's life, but also is of contemporary relevance. It offers a sustainable proposal for the future development of the postmodern community, no matter it is with human fellow mates or with the natural environment. And that proposal is being water metaphorically speaking.