nothingness in the philosophy of lao tzu.pdf

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Nothingness in the Philosophy of Lao-tzŭAuthor(s): Gi-Ming Shien

Source: Philosophy East and West, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Oct., 1951), pp. 58-63Published by: University of Hawai'i PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1397173 .

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GI-MING SHIEN

Nothingnessn t h e

Philosophy f Lao-tzu

In orderto understandhe truemeaningof

nothingnessn Lao-tziu'shilosophywe must makeeveryeffort o dissociateour mindsfrom Western ideas of nothingness. By nothingnesswe gen-

erallymeana lackof

quantityor a blankin the

reasoningprocesswhich

we can ignore. In Lao-tzui, negativestatements often an expression f

the mostpositivetruth. Nothingness s the way to the very positivetruthof spontaneity.

All thingsin the universe hare n "thingness";heyalso share n noth-

ingness. In this blankingout of their temporalnature we come to the

eternal, he generatingprinciple, he spontaneity,whichis fundamental oall existence.

Why? What is the meaningof this? Sinceeverything n the whole

universe hares hisprinciple,hen we mustbe able to find the samethingin our own selves. Let us examine this situation.

As everyoneknows,the equipmentof the physicalorganizationwithinthe body is like that of a factory.Thereare many piecesof equipmentwhich performtheir specialparts in the general functionof breathing,circulationf blood,digestion, tc. We knowthesethings n a verygeneralway, but if we try to get down to them in any specialdetailwe aregladto excuseourselveswith the comment:"It is all so complicated."

The mostamazingthing

is that thiscomplicated quipment

does not

requireany help from us (fortunately),but in the maingoes on with itsfunctionsquite spontaneously.All we have to do is to feed in somema-terialsperiodicallyor it to workon, andit goes on quitespontaneouslyo

performwhatever t is thatneedsto be done. We areverymuchrelievedto have the doctortell us that worryingaboutit will not help and thatit is bestto forgetit. We do thatanyway.

It is only by thoroughdissection f the physicalorganismhat we know

about the parts. Lungs,liver, heart,stomach,kidneys,bladder,and the

functions hey performare quite below the thresholdof consciousnessn58



NOTHINGNESS IN THE PHILOSOPHYOF LAO-TZO

timesof good health. Ourfeeling is of a single unity,an integrated"I,"and all of theseotherthingsareforgotten.

That is the real meaningof nothingness.We do not know, and we

forgetthat which we mightknow so that the whole will be an operationof spontaneity.This is the orderof health of our own organism, nd it isthe orderof health for the partsof the universe. This nothingnesss inthe very natureof the universe,exemplifiedn spontaneity.

Confuciusalso understoodhis principle.Confucius aid: "I wouldpre-fer not to speak."

His studentTzu-kungasked: "If you, O Master,do not speak,whatshall we, your disciples,have to recordand to follow?"

The Masterreplied:

"Doesthe universepeak?

The fourseasonspursuetheir courseand all thingsareproducedn theirorder,but does the uni-

versesay anything?"1Out of the nothingnessof not-speaking risesthe spontaneity f con-

tinuousproduction.Havinga generalview of "nothingness"s it is involved n the theory

of Lao-tziu,et us treat the contextin which it occurs. It is necessaryounderstand he metaphysicalystemwherein it obtainsits value in the

teaching f Lao-tzu. n thiscasewe ask: ( 1) Sincenothingnesss notmerely

negativebut has a positivemeaning,what is it that it contains? In moreformal anguage:"What s the contentof nothingness?")Thenwe will be

readyfor the secondquestion:(2) How does the conceptof nothingnessfit intothesystemof Lao-tzu,.e.,what s its significanceorhismetaphysicalsystem?What is the valueof nothingness?

1. The contentof "nothingness"s discoveredby consideringhe con-ditionwhichis necessaryor spontaneity. t must,of course,arisefromabalanced ystem n whicheachforce is balancedby an equivalent ounter-force,in whichthere is symmetry ndproportion f parts,andin whicha

returnupon itself or a completionproducesa conditionof self-sufficiency.That is, a delicatelybalanced ystemof weightsand forces,or of electriccircuits, auses he needleto restat the null point,andindicatesrue"noth-ingness," nlywhenit is in the condition f spontaneousction. A formulaof symbolic ogic is in a condition o allow truespontaneousxpression fwisdomwhen its propositionsare balancedby counter-propositionsndsymmetricalrrangementn whichthe completionarrivesat the null class,or "nothingness."t is quiteas importantor the orderlyacquiring f ex-ternal indirectknowledgeas it is for the acquiringof immediateunder-

standing.Again,we havea basicprincipleof all knowledge.Lao-tzui akes1The AnalectsXIX.17.

59



"nothingness"he means of acquiringknowledgeby directcontact,whichis too profound or the indirectchannelsof discursiveeason.

In a gross way,we take the exampleof a whirlpoolas a caseof purespontaneity,which signifies nothing. The force of the streamtumblingovera fall is matchedbythe forceof the inertiaof the bodyof waterwhichhas alreadycollected. These two forces nteractwith suchproportion nd

symmetryhat a circularmotionis formed. The flow of the waterin thisform is the completionwhichverynearlysupplies he conditions f com-

plete spontaneity.Of course,actually, he powerlost downstreams made

up by a continuous upplyfromthe upperstream,and so the completionof the spontaneitys dependentuponthe weather.

Then,again,we

mayfind the same

principlen ourown

breathing.We

areaware, f we stopto notice,that there areinhalationand exhalationnalternation. t is a reflex actionin whichno conscious ffort s expended.Thepushingout of the airin exhalationbringsabouta condition f vacuumin the lungs;when this becomesgreatenoughit startsthe inwardmove-

mentof the airto fill the lungs. Thisinhalation ontinues ntil thepressureof the innerexpansions greatenoughto startagainthe outwardmove-ment of the air. Thatis, there s a continuousycleof pressuresromposi-tive to negativeandbackagain. As long as it is in completebalanceand

all partsof thecyclehave theirequivalents,herearesymmetryndharmonyand completereturn,in which each inhalationmoves directlyinto the

followingexhalationovera smoothcourse,as it were. This is a conditionof completespontaneity nd,of course, t is nothingness, eingcompletelybelowthe thresholdof consciousness.

We may generalize o show the severalpartsof spontaneity. t is im-

portant o haveproportion, ymmetry, ndharmony.Then,too,eachforcemust be countered yanequivalentorce,andthewholesystemmustreturn

uponitself in sucha manner hat it will continuen its cyclewith self-suf-

ficiency.In such a system herewill be the spontaneitywhich is the resultof obtaininga completenull point,or nothingness.

The general ntentmaybe clearer f we contrasthe systemof completenull-pointspontaneitywith an unbalancedystem.Such a systemrequirescontinuous djustment. t is the way of the extreme, n contrastwith thebalancedwayof the mean,andimpliesa defectin the structure.While it

may be compensatedor, therewill comea time when it will wear itself

out, even thoughit is supplied rom the outside.We maycontrast he operation f a gasolinemotorcar, s an exampleof

thatextremesometimes alledprogress,with a carefullyconstructedet ofscales,as anexampleof somethingwhichapproacheshenullpointof spon-

60 GI-MING SHIEN



NOTHINGNESSIN THE PHILOSOPHYOF LAO-TZO

taneity. Of course,the motorcars soon the victim of its own progress,while the set of scaleswill continue ts spontaneity f sensitiveresponsealmostdirectly nsofar as the proportion,ymmetry,harmony,balanceof

forces,and return o the conditionof the startof operations remaintained.2. Sincethe structuref nothingnesss so complex,we maywell suspect

that it has a very complexor at least an importantpartin the structure

of things. Let us findout how valuablenothingness an be.

The value of nothingnesshas to be consideredwith some care. It is

very commonpractice n modern Westernthoughtto show that terms

cancel themselvesout and leave nothing. This is a convenient nstrument

of logicalanalysis,but it is very poor metaphysicso makethe leap and

saythat therefore he termshave no value. We know

perfectlywell that

a term that can be shownto be equalto nothingmust be handledwith

greatcareor it will be the sourceof new factorsentering he proposition.Lao-tzicomes o thesituationroma direction pposite o that of modern

logicians. Insteadof adoptingmethodswhich wouldkeep nothingnessn

a positionwhereit could not generatedisturbing ew factors,he definitely

placesit as the generatingprincipleof all things.That is, his metaphysicsis also an epistemology, nd the orderof the universe, he cosmos, s also

the schemeof directknowledge.

What does this mean?How couldnothingbe the sourceof all things?We have shown that the principleof nothingnesss basedupon spon-taneity.We mightgo furtherand saythat the principleof spontaneitysbasedupon equivalence,and then that the principleof equivalence(or

equilibrium) s basedupon proportionand symmetry.The principleof

proportion nd symmetrys groundedon a principleof order.

Consequently, e mightshowthat order s a generating rinciple:every-thing follows a certainorder.In a conditionof disorderwhereproportionand symmetry re lacking,no production f thingscan be expected.

If, then,we call order he generatingprinciple,we must remember hatit was derivedfrom proportionand symmetry;proportionand symmetryare derived romequivalence;heprinciple f equivalencewasderived rom

spontaneity;nd the principleof spontaneitywasderived romnothingness.Thatis, eachof these, n turn,mightstandasa kindof secondaryeneratingprinciple.They all work back, however,to a dependenceupon nothing-ness,which we mightcall the ultimateof simplicityandtherefore onsiderit the primitiveor originalof the othergenerativeprinciples.Therefore,Lao-tzu ays:"All thingsin the worldcomefromexistence,andexistence

comes fromnon-existence."2

'Tao Te ChingXL

61



"Spontaneity"nd "nothingness"re mere words as the logical posi-tivistshaveshown. However, hey representhatrealitybeyond he powerof words o express,whichwe canknowonlybymeansof direct,mmediate

knowledgeor intuition.They symbolize hatpoint at which the extremesof processmeet,in infinity,as we say,andin whicheverybeginninghasits

equivalent.Thealphaandomega,beginningandend,of existence resimul-taneous n this moment. It is purenothingness ndpurespontaneity, utit is order, hecosmoswhichgenerates ndwhich s the universe.

The wordsof whichwe speakarenot concretenounsbut abstract, er-haps adjectival,nouns. They do not representany concretequality;the

very natureof the universes within them,or that whichthey represent.Culmination ndgeneration re at one in

spontaneitynd

nothingness,nd

that is the true universe.If spontaneity nd nothingnessdo not containboth beginningandend,

then this is not the trueuniverse. It is only a universeof discourse,whichis limited.It is not self-containedndself-sufficientn itself. It wantssome-

thing fromoutsidewhich is other than its own self. Therewouldnot be

completion, rorder,orproportion,nd theequivalent ouldnotbe formed.

Consequently,o orderandno thingcould be produced.Therefore,we seethat it is necessaryhat the true universecontainboth spontaneityand

nothingness,or in them are the generationand completionof all things.Again,we may find the exemplificationto borrowa word from White-

head) of our principlein the operationsof our own organism.Intro-

specting,we see that everypartof the system(suchas breathing, ircula-tion of the blood,digestion,etc.) workswith sufficient orce and bringsforth good resultsfrom its labor,yet withoutinterferingwith any other

parts, houghconfined o a verylimitedspace. There exist a certainorderandproportion ndsymmetrywhichwe couldsee if we knew how to writean equation o express hem.

If we ask where the order,proportion, nd symmetry ome from,weshallnotice a principleof equivalence.Fromthis,we canfindthe presenceof spontaneityand nothingness.Thus we see the prime importanceofthese two. When they arepresent, he others ollow by necessaryrderofthe universeor the Tao.Theyrepresent principleof integration ywhich

every part harmonizeswith everyotherpart. This principle s in everypartand at the sametime transcendsverypartbecause hrough ts spon-taneityandnothingnesshere is generation ndcompletion f the universe.And this is the true meaningof the principleof nothingnessn the phi-losophyof Lao-tzi.

The real meaningof "nothingness"r non-being s basedupon spon-

62 GI-MING SHIEN



NOTHINGNESSIN THE PHILOSOPHYOF LAO-TZO

taneity,and can be derived n the following manner:Spontaneitys thenatureof being;the full developmentof spontaneity esults n forgetful-ness;forgetfulnessesults n a feelingof nothingness.Fromthe viewpointof the manifestation,t itself is being,but the natureof beingis forgetful-nessandthereforenothingness.

The interpretationf "nothingness"n the philosophyof Lao-tziu ymodernChinesescholars,however,is often one of two extremes:Somehave takenit as nihilism,and somehave interpretedt in termsof being,ignoringthe fact thatnothingness esultsfrom the natureof being. FungYu-lan is an exampleof the latter. In his book The Historyof Chinese

Philosophy,he regardsthe particulars r individualsas being, and the

universal,he

metaphysicalOne,or

Tao,as

non-being.He

saysthat be-

causeparticularhingsare limitedanddefinable,we cangive themnames.Tao, however, s the all-embracing rincipleand is in all things,can be

simultaneouslyne thing and another,and is, therefore,nfinite and un-definable.We cannotgive Tao a particularname,and hence it is noth-

ingness.3This interpretation,owever,is far from the real meaningof

nothingnessn Lao-tzi. For,althoughTao is infiniteandundefinable, e-cause t is in everything ndcanbe bothone thingandanother,t remainsin the realmof existencewith particular hings. We maysaythat Tao or

the metaphysicalOne is the infiniteor the all-embracingrinciple.How-ever,despite he factthatwe cannotgive it a definiteparticular ame,the

all-embracing rincipledoes exist, and, therefore, s not the meaningof

nothingness.The real meaningof nothingness n Lao-tzi is somethingbeyondexistence.Lao-tziuaid: "Thirty pokesmeet in one hub, but its

vacuity[the axle hole] makes the carriagecapableof use. Clay is fash-ioned into vessels,but their emptinessgives them usefulness.Doors andwindowsare cut to make a house,buttheiraperturesmakea usefuldwell-

ing. Hence,existencehas profits,but fromnon-existencevacuity]we de-

rive utility."4Fromthis quotation,we see that the realmeaningof noth-ingness in Lao-tzius somethingbeyondexistence,and is quite differentfrom Fung's nterpretation.Therefore, he trueconceptof Lao-tzu's oth-

ingness s neithernihilism,as somescholarshold, nor the infinite, he all-

embracingprinciple-the conceptof the concreteTao, as Fung Yu-lanasserts.Rather, he key to the truemeaningof nothingnessies in spon-taneity,whichresults n forgetfulness ndunconsciousness,ndit is there-fore beyondexistence.Hence,spontaneityesults n nothingness.

3Fung Yu-lan, AHistory

of ChinesePhilosophy,

trans.DerkBodde (reprinted;Shanghai:North-ChinaDaily News, 1949), pp. 177-179; and Fung Yu-lan,A ShortHistoryof Chinese

Philosophy (New York: The MacmillanCompany,1948), pp. 94-97.4 ao Te ChingXL.

63

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