Interpreting "Dao"

Here's a new thread for discussion: Does DAO4 ever refer to a "metaphysical entity" in pre-Qin texts?

The Chinese term DAO4 (ordinarily translated "Way") can mean several things (even if we focus only on pre-Qin philosophy). Among its meanings are "a way of doing something" (some have referred to this as a "performance dao"), and "a linguistic account of a way of doing something" (some have referred to this as a "discourse dao"). Traditionally, DAO4 has also been thought to refer to a "metaphysical entity" of some kind. However, some recent scholars have denied that DAO4 has this sense in pre-Qin philosophers. I wonder how the scholars who deny the "metaphysical interpretation" would make sense of the following passages, though:

"There was something featureless yet complete,
born before heaven and earth;
Silent -- amorphous --
it stood alone and unchanging.
We may regard it as the mother of heaven and earth. Not knowing its name, I style it the 'Way.'"

(trans. Victor Mair, ch. 69)

Zhuangzi 6:

"The Way has its reality and its signs but is without action or form. You can hand it down but you cannot receive it; you can get it but you cannot see it. It is its own source, its own root. Before Heaven and earth existed it was there, firm from ancient times. It gave spirituality to the spirits and to God; it gave birth to Heaven and to earth. It exists beyond the highest point and yet you cannot call it lofty; it exists beneath the limit of the six directions, and yet you cannot call it deep. It was born before Heaven and earth, and yet you cannot say it has been there for long; it is earlier than the earliest times, and yet you cannot call it old." (trans. Watson, _Basic Writings_, p. 77)

Admittedly, the term "metaphysical" is ambiguous, so there may be senses of "metaphysical" in which these passages do not show that DAO4 is being used metaphysically. I also acknowledge that the various senses of DAO4 are etymologically and semantically related. (The idea is *not* that the various senses of DAO4 are merely homonymous.) However, I would think that these passages at least show that DAO4 has a sense distinct from the more concrete senses of "discourse" or "way of acting" (much less "path" or "road").

Best wishes,

Date created: 10/28/96
Last modified: 10/28/96
Questions? Contact: Stephen C. Angle