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Comments and Alternative Readings: Chapter 18

The Canon of Reason and Virtue (Tao te Ching) · front matter · 1 passage

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This chapter is directed against the Confucianist morality of filial piety, loyalty, and justice. Lao-tze is disgusted with the very words. Where the Tao obtains there is no need of preaching justice, filial piety and loyalty, for the virtue of the Tao is spontaneous. The men whose hearts are bare of these virtues, parade them in words.

Source: Internet Sacred Text Archive, file tao/crv/crv101.htm.

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