Laozi’s Daodejing (6th Century BC)

Book chapter

Barbalet, Jack. (2014). Laozi’s Daodejing (6th Century BC). In In J. Helin, T. Hernes and D. Hjorth and R. Holt (Ed.). Oxford handbook of process philosophy and organization studies pp. 17 - 31 Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199669356.013.0002
AuthorsBarbalet, Jack
EditorsJ. Helin, T. Hernes and D. Hjorth and R. Holt
Abstract

This chapter examines Daodejing, a compilation of sayings written by Laozi which focuses on engagement in political and practical affairs in early China. It discusses the text of Daodejing, its difficulties, origin, and purpose as well as its emphasis on both action and process. It also outlines the character of Daodejing as an exposition of process, the work’s treatment of the unfolding of process through paradox, the mechanisms of process in imminence and latency, and the idea that something comes from nothing. Finally, it considers emptiness as a source of potentiality.

KeywordsDaodejing; Laozi; action; process; imminence; latency; emptiness; potentiality
Page range17 - 31
Year2014
Book titleOxford handbook of process philosophy and organization studies
PublisherOxford University Press
Place of publicationUnited Kingdom
ISBN9780199669356
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199669356.013.0002
Research GroupInstitute for Religion, Politics, and Society
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Controlled
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/86159/laozi-s-daodejing-6th-century-bc

Log in to edit

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 120
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Nation and State in Max Webber : Politics as Sociology
Barbalet, Jack Michael. (2023). Nation and State in Max Webber : Politics as Sociology Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003355168
Trust in modernity : The case of Adam Smith
Barbalet, Jack Michael. (2023). Trust in modernity : The case of Adam Smith. European Journal of Social Theory. 27(1), pp. 60-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/13684310231185901
Conceptualising informal institutions : Drawing on the case of guanxi
Barbalet, Jack. (2023). Conceptualising informal institutions : Drawing on the case of guanxi. British Journal of Sociology. 74(1), pp. 71-83. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12984
Race and its reformulation in Max Weber : Cultural Germanism as political imperialism
Barbalet, Jack. (2022). Race and its reformulation in Max Weber : Cultural Germanism as political imperialism. Journal of Classical Sociology. pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468795X221083684
The theory of guanxi and Chinese society
Barbalet, Jack. (2021). The theory of guanxi and Chinese society Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198808732.001.0001
Where does guanxi come from? Bao, shu, and renqing in Chinese connections
Barbalet, Jack. (2021). Where does guanxi come from? Bao, shu, and renqing in Chinese connections. Asian Journal of Social Science. 49(1), pp. 31-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajss.2020.11.001
Tripartite guanxi : resolving kin and non-kin discontinuities in Chinese connections
Barbalet, Jack. (2021). Tripartite guanxi : resolving kin and non-kin discontinuities in Chinese connections. Theory and Society. 50(1), pp. 151-173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-020-09399-w
Max Weber and China : Imperial scholarship, its background and findings
Barbalet, Jack Michael. (2021). Max Weber and China : Imperial scholarship, its background and findings. In In Cho, Joanne Miyang (Ed.). Sino-German encounters and entanglements : Transnational politics and culture, 1890-1950 pp. 133-155 Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.. https://doi.org/10.1007/97830307339196
The analysis of Chinese rural society: Fei Xiaotong revisited
Barbalet, Jack. (2021). The analysis of Chinese rural society: Fei Xiaotong revisited. Modern China: an international quarterly of history and social science. 47(4), pp. 355-382. https://doi.org/10.1177/0097700419894921
Violence and politics: Reconsidering Weber’s ‘Politics as a Vocation’
Barbalet, Jack. (2021). Violence and politics: Reconsidering Weber’s ‘Politics as a Vocation’. Sociology. 55(1), pp. 56-70. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038519895748
Bases of social obligation : The distinction between exchange and role and its consequences
Barbalet, Jack. (2020). Bases of social obligation : The distinction between exchange and role and its consequences. Distinktion. 21(3), pp. 334-349. https://doi.org/10.1080/1600910X.2020.1816558
The experience of trust : It's content and basis
Barbalet, Jack. (2019). The experience of trust : It's content and basis. In In Sasaki, Masamichi (Ed.). Trust in contemporary society pp. 11-30 Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004390430_003
‘Honey, I shrunk the emotions’ : Late modernity and the end of emotions
Barbalet, Jack. (2019). ‘Honey, I shrunk the emotions’ : Late modernity and the end of emotions. Emotions and Society. 1(2), pp. 133-146. https://doi.org/10.1332/263168919X15662881966944
Trust: Condition of action or condition of appraisal
Barbalet, Jack. (2019). Trust: Condition of action or condition of appraisal. International Sociology. 34(1), pp. 83 - 98. https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580918812268
Primitive accumulation and Chinese mirrors
Barbalet, Jack. (2019). Primitive accumulation and Chinese mirrors. Journal of Classical Sociology. 19(1), pp. 27 - 42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468795X18810571
Guanxi as social exchange: Emotions, power and corruption
Barbalet, Jack. (2018). Guanxi as social exchange: Emotions, power and corruption. Sociology. 52(5), pp. 934 - 949. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038517692511
Magic and Reformation Calvinism in Max Weber’s sociology
Barbalet, Jack. (2018). Magic and Reformation Calvinism in Max Weber’s sociology. European Journal of Social Theory. 21(4), pp. 470 - 487. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431017736996
Guanxi as social exchange: Emotions, power and corruption
Jack Barbalet. (2017). Guanxi as social exchange: Emotions, power and corruption. Sotsiologicheskie Issledovaniya. (12), pp. 30-41. https://doi.org/10.7868/S0132162517120042
Confucianism and the Chinese self: Re-examining Max Weber's China
Barbalet, Jack. In J. Barbalet (Ed.). (2017). Confucianism and the Chinese self: Re-examining Max Weber's China Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6289-6
Dyadic characteristics of guanxi and their consequences
Barbalet, Jack. (2017). Dyadic characteristics of guanxi and their consequences. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. 47(3), pp. 332 - 347. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12133
The religion of China and the prospects of Chinese capitalism
Barbalet, Jack. (2016). The religion of China and the prospects of Chinese capitalism. In In A. Sica (Ed.). pp. 207 - 229 Anthem Press.
The Confucian Mix: A supplement to Weber's the religion of China
Barbalet, Jack. (2016). The Confucian Mix: A supplement to Weber's the religion of China. Revue Internationale de Philosophie. 276(2), pp. 171 - 192.
Chinese individualization, revisited
Barbalet, Jack. (2016). Chinese individualization, revisited. Journal of Sociology. 52(1), pp. 9 - 23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783315587413
Guanxi, tie strength, and network attributes
Barbalet, Jack. (2015). Guanxi, tie strength, and network attributes. American Behavioral Scientist. 59(8), pp. 1038 - 1050. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215580613
The paradox of power: Conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture
Barbalet, Jack and Qi, Xiaoying. (2015). The paradox of power: Conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture. In In J. G. Heaney and H. Flam (Ed.). Power and emotion pp. 51 - 64 Routledge.
Greater self, lesser self: Dimensions of self-interest in Chinese filial piety
Barbalet, Jack. (2014). Greater self, lesser self: Dimensions of self-interest in Chinese filial piety. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour. 44(2), pp. 186 - 205. https://doi.org/10.1111/jtsb.12037
Globalization and cosmopolitanism: Continuity and disjuncture, contemporary and historical
Barbalet, Jack. (2014). Globalization and cosmopolitanism: Continuity and disjuncture, contemporary and historical. Journal of Sociology. 50(2), pp. 199 - 212. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783312448686
Weber's Daoism: A failure of orthodoxy
Barbalet, Jack. (2014). Weber's Daoism: A failure of orthodoxy. Journal of Classical Sociology. 14(3), pp. 284 - 301. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468795X13494132
Confucian values and East Asian capitalism: A variable Weberian trajectory
Barbalet, Jack. (2014). Confucian values and East Asian capitalism: A variable Weberian trajectory. In In B. S. Turner and O. Salemink (Ed.). Routledge handbook of religions in Asia pp. 315 - 328 Routledge.
The structure of guanxi: Resolving problems of network assurance
Barbalet, Jack. (2014). The structure of guanxi: Resolving problems of network assurance. Theory and Society. 43(1), pp. 51 - 69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-013-9211-2
Collective fear and societal change
Barbalet, Jack and Demertzis, Nicolas. (2013). Collective fear and societal change. In In N. Demertzis (Ed.). Emotions in politics: The affect dimension in political tension pp. 167 - 185 Palgrave Macmillan.
The paradox of power : Conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture
Barbalet, Jack and Qi, Xiaoying. (2013). The paradox of power : Conceptions of power and the relations of reason and emotion in European and Chinese culture. Journal of Political Power. 6(3), pp. 405-418. https://doi.org/10.1080/2158379X.2013.846554
Teaching classical sociological theory in Hong Kong SAR, China
Barbalet, Jack. (2013). Teaching classical sociological theory in Hong Kong SAR, China. Journal of Sociology. 49(4), pp. 426 - 440. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783313504054
Adam Smith: Theorie der ethischen Gefühle
Barbalet, Jack. (2013). Adam Smith: Theorie der ethischen Gefühle. In In K. Senge and R. Schutzeichel (Ed.). Hauptwerke der emotionssoziologie pp. 333 - 339 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-93439-6_46
Self-interest in Chinese discourse and practice: Temporal distinctions of self
Barbalet, Jack. (2013). Self-interest in Chinese discourse and practice: Temporal distinctions of self. Sociological Review. 61(4), pp. 649 - 666. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12080
Self-interest and the theory of action
Barbalet, Jack. (2012). Self-interest and the theory of action. British Journal of Sociology. 63(3), pp. 412 - 429. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2012.01417.x
Introduction: States, consumption and managing religions
Turner, Bryan Stanley, Possamai, Adam and Barbalet, Jack Michael. (2011). Introduction: States, consumption and managing religions. In Religion and the State: A Comparative Sociology pp. 1 - 22 Anthem Press.
Public religions and the state: A comparative perspective
Barbalet, Jack Michael, Possamai, Adam and Turner, Bryan Stanley. (2011). Public religions and the state: A comparative perspective. In Religion and the State: A Comparative Sociology pp. 277 - 282 Anthem Press. https://doi.org/10.7135/UPO9780857288073.014
Chinese religion, market society and the State
Barbalet, Jack. (2011). Chinese religion, market society and the State. In In J. Barbalet, A. Possamai and B. S. Turner (Ed.). Religion and the State: A comparative sociology pp. 185 - 206 Anthem Press.
Market relations as Wuwei: Daoist concepts in analysis of China's post-1978 market economy
Barbalet, Jack. (2011). Market relations as Wuwei: Daoist concepts in analysis of China's post-1978 market economy. Asian Studies Review. 35(3), pp. 335 - 354. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357823.2011.602045
Emotions beyond regulation: Backgrounded emotions in science and trust
Barbalet, Jack. (2011). Emotions beyond regulation: Backgrounded emotions in science and trust. Emotion Review. 3(1), pp. 36 - 43. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073910380968