A Philosophy for all- an analysis of the Tao

        There is no single definition of Taoism in the Tao de Ching. The reader realizes that she will not find one in the text after seeing the first sentence. By saying that whatever can be described of the Tao is not the true Tao, its author, Lao-tzu, establishes his first premise: the Tao is a force beyond human explanation. However this assumption does not mean that he can't attempt to describe it. Using the literary …

…be shaped by the Tao, as rugged and common as a stone.'         This concept of the ideal moderate is mentioned a number of times. In Ch 9 Lao-tzu admonishes extremism, 'Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife, and it will blunt.' A Taoist is not someone who is driven by hopes for the respect and admiration of her people, but rather wants to be humble and normal.