This comprehensive collection introduces the rich and deep textual and philosophical ideas related to the received Daodejing. Readers will find out, for example, why Daodejing continues to greatly influence our ways of thinking and living worldwide. How can ancient Chinese philosophy respond to contemporary cultural concerns and interests? How can we develop a philosophy of the Daodejing while critically engaging with textual resources? And finally, how can future research benefit and develop from current debates?

This volume has eight parts, collecting 41 chapters. Part 1 discusses textual and historical issues of excavated texts and received versions of the Daodejing , its linguistic features in these different versions, and influential translations. Part 2 examines key ideas in the Daodejing . Part 3 asks how other early Chinese texts debate with, and develop the Daodejing -related texts. Part 4 introduces several influential commentaries on the Daodejing . Part 5 highlights ancient intellectual and religious interactions with the Daodejing that are overlooked in contemporary philosophical inquiry. Part 6 brings new questions to the ancient texts, and explores how they can respond to contemporary concerns on the basis of textual studies. Part 7 turns to modern perspectives on the Daodejing . Part 8 presents comparative studies of the Daodejing .