This chapter discusses the philosophy of the Wenzi. Traditionally seen as the creation of a disciple of Laozi in the sixth century BCE, the text was demonstrably created much later, between the... Show moreThis chapter discusses the philosophy of the Wenzi. Traditionally seen as the creation of a disciple of Laozi in the sixth century BCE, the text was demonstrably created much later, between the third and fifth centuries CE. That said, it does contain older material, as evidence by the discovery of a Wenzi manuscript in a Han Dynasty tomb. The manuscript, which consists of hundreds of inscribed bamboo strips, in combination with related passages in the received text, are evidence of an early form of the Wenzi: the proto-Wenzi. This chapter analyzes the proto-Wenzi, with a focus on its intricate relationship with the Laozi. It shows that the proto-Wenzi advocates a philosophy of quietude, not only in terms of its content, but also through its rhetoric. Much more than the Laozi, its main source of inspiration, the proto-Wenzi promotes a harmonious synthesis of diverse, and at times even incompatible, ideas. Show less
