This chapter can be understood from two perspectives.
First: Its direct content highlights how the loss of virtue in rulers and the abandonment of the great Dao create the need to promote benevolence and justice to counter social decay. Laozi thus diagnoses the pathological phenomena of his era, exposing the cracks in a corrupt system.
When the Great Dao (Way or Method) ceased to be observed, benevolence and righteousness came into vogue. (Then) appeared wisdom and shrewdness, and there ensued great hypocrisy. When harmony no longer prevailed throughout the six kinships, filial sons found their manifestation; when the states and clans fell into disorder, loyal ministers appeared.
Second: It reveals the dialectical interdependence of opposites. Applying this philosophy to society, Laozi analyzes relationships of unity and contradiction, such as wisdom versus falsehood, filial piety versus familial conflict, and loyal officials versus national chaos.
For example, in a well-governed state with familial harmony, loyalty and filial piety are not emphasized; these virtues only emerge amid familial discord or political turmoil, demonstrating their mutual dependence.
In essence, Laozi underscores that society’s glorification of certain moral values arises precisely from their absence. The demand for virtue stems from its scarcity—a paradox that reflects the depth of his dialectical analysis.
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