Martin Buber’s Acceptance Of Taoist Texts

Martin Buber was one of the best-known philosophers in the 20 th century.He had made outstanding achievements in religious philosophy,philosophical anthropology,existentialism,Jewish mysticism and other research fields.The study of Hasidism in Jewish mysticism was one of the most important academic activities in Buber’s life,and influenced the formation of his later dialogue philosophy.In the study of Hasidism,Buber noticed the unity of the Eastern Taoism,incorporated the Taoism into his mysticism study,translated and published some chapters of Zhuangzi and Tao Te Ching.However,Buber was different from previous sinologists.He made creative choices and restatements of Taoist texts based on Mysticism and Hasidism.At the same time,the "Tao","Wuwei","accomplished man",and "the perfected man" in Taoist thought also had a reverse impact on Buber,leading to traces of Taoist thought in his dialogue philosophy.This paper attempts to take Martin Buber’s translation and comment on Taoist texts as the starting point,put Buber’s dynamic acceptance study of Taoist texts into "contact analysis interpretation transformation",explore Buber’s acceptance background of Taoist texts,analyze Buber’s selection and restatement of Taoist texts,expand the interpretation of the core concepts of Taoism,and then explore Buber’s transformation of Taoist thoughts.In addition to the introduction and conclusion,this paper is divided into four chapters:The first chapter explores Martin Buber’s acceptance background of Taoist texts.In the19 th century,the Tao Te Ching and Chuang Tzu were continuously translated and introduced in Germany.The end of rational culture caused by the outbreak of World War I and World War II in the 20 th century has greatly promoted the attention of German academia to Taoism.On the other hand,Martin Buber,based on his interest in Jewish mysticism and the Hasidic tradition formed in his life experience,in the upsurge of academic translation of Taoist texts and generally classified Taoism as a model of mysticism,Buber,out of his interest in mysticism,came into contact with Taoist texts and included Taoist texts in his Hasidism research.The second chapter analyzes Martin Buber’s choice and restatement of Taoist texts.The two texts translated and commented by Buber,Chuang Tzu and Tao Te Ching,are discussed respectively.The text of Zhuangzi is mainly from the choice of content and the restatement of translation;However,Tao Te Ching was not published systematically by Buber,and the translation and comments of some chapters were mainly focused on the selection of text content.The third chapter discusses Martin Buber’s specific interpretation of the core concepts of Taoism,such as "Tao",“Wuwei”,“central man”.“Tao” is the basis for the development of Taoism,and "unity" is Buber’s understanding of Chinese "Tao" based on Hassidian mysticism,and is the main way to realize "Tao";While "Wuwei" is an important thought of Taoist philosophy.In Buber’s view,inaction is an important way to realize "Tao",and only through inaction can the unity in Buber Hasidism be realized.“Central man” is a concept put forward by Buber.He called Laozi "central man".In his view,“central man” is a concrete configuration that realizes unity through inaction in reality.The fourth chapter discusses the transformation of Martin Bube’s philosophy of dialogue to Taoism.The relationship between "I and you" is the foundation of Buber’s philosophy of dialogue,and art,as the external representation of the relationship between "I and you" in aesthetic activities,emphasizes a kind of pure aesthetic experience of abandoning utilitarianism,and is the application and transformation of "emptiness" in Buber’s translation comments Chuang Tzu and Tao Te Ching,which exclude distractions and interests.