Knowing the Unknowable and Knowing What Should Be Known:The Deconstruction and Construction of Knowledge in Laozi
The incisive philosophy of Laozi is frequently criticized as obscurantism or anti-intellectualism,while at other times it is regarded as a mysticism that rejects reason and empirical knowledge by relying exclusively on intuitive apprehension.As a matter of fact,however,Laozi never advocated the abandonment of all forms of"knowledge"(知 zhi),but rather affirmed certain types of knowledge while negating others.One of his favored terms,wuzhi 无知(translatable as"non-knowing"),just means the elimination of delusive knowledge,such as knowledge that acts as an accomplice of greed,petty shrewdness,differentiation-based knowledge leading to axiological discrimination,and"sagacity and cleverness"(圣智shengzhi),each of which are purportedly foresightful but actually disturb the"self-so(自然ziran)state of everything,but which also encompasses the moral education centered on the"six virtues"(六德liude)handed down from the Western Zhou Dynasty.Laozi's advocacy of"foolishness"(愚yu),therefore,refers to the ignorance of such delusive knowledge,resulting in purity rather than stupidity.In this,it is important to recognize that Laozi often conveys a positive idea through seemingly negative statements(正言若反zhengyan ruo fan).His critique of delusive knowledge serves to urge individuals to seek true knowledge and thereby step out of the cave of ignorance.From his perspective,people often know what does not deserve to be known,making their existing knowledge a form of ignorance.They may appear clever but in reality are simply bewildered.To attain true knowledge,individuals must discard their existing knowledge and strive to comprehend Dao and"regularity"(常 chang),to be content and cease the relentless pursuit of trivialities,and to realize their own limitations.In essence,Laozi reveals a higher level of cognition.Moreover,he advocates being wise while appearing foolish.True knowledge cannot be flaunted,let alone delusive knowledge.To ensure that ziran is not disturbed,he opposes those who are conceited with knowledge who thereby disrupt the natural course of things.This is the fundamental reason why he advocates abandoning sagacity and cleverness and"administering the state without cleverness"(以不智治邦yi buzhi zhi bang).This notion that both the monarch and the people ought to discard cleverness differs significantly from obscurantism,which only serves to fool the people.Abandoning sagacity and cleverness,both of which tend to be serf-righteous while motivating those who rely on them to meddle in the affairs of others,precisely provides an opportunity for the people's wisdom to flourish.Laozi has never endorsed fooling the people;on the contrary,he fully trusts their own wisdom and strives to create space for its manifestation.Furthermore,the proposition of dichu xuanlan涤除玄览("washing and purifying mysterious views")is not a form of intuitionist epistemology;rather,it pertains to the cultivation of the heart-mind.It is evident that Laozi is not discussing whether or how empirical knowledge is possible;rather,he seeks to reverse people's inverted values.As far as Laozi is concerned,the question of knowledge is primarily an issue of axiology.If construed as an epistemological question,we risk deviating from the core concerns of his philosophy.
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