Abstract

Next to the Bible, the Dao De Jing is the most translated work in world literature. Its popularity certainly shows the power of traditional Chinese thoughts. Late western modern philosophers, such as Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre have been influenced by the thoughts of Dao De Jing. As a foundation of traditional Chinese spirit, the Dao De Jing certainly played a key role. In the new global temporality, it may also help people to eliminate the philosophical, ideological, and eventually the cultural gap as a cultural bridge between the east and west. Compared to the original source, most English references are still written very "non-fluently," making it hard to gain a close understanding. This thesis is a tiny contribution to reinterpret some chapters on mainly metaphysical views of the Dao De Jing and hopefully can modify some typical traditional “English thoughts” on this scripture