The Practice of Rou 柔 from Wang Bi’s Perspective

Abstract

This paper holds that Laozi’s philosophy on softness is a topic that remains to be fully discussed. By distinguishing between the meanings of softness and weakness, this paper discusses how Wang Bi semantically integrated the two, presenting them as methods to attain the Dao. In this paper, the differences in Wang Bi’s usage of “柔弱” (softness and weakness) and “柔顺” (softness and compliance) in his annotations on the Daodejing and Yijing are noted, emphasizing the logical support and rational explanation that Wang Bi provided for the external behaviors of gentleness described in the hexagram lines. Wang Bi reconciled the contradictions between Confucian and Daoist views on valuing gentleness and balancing Yin–Yang. In the text, he elaborates on gentleness as both a personal moral requirement and a method of social governance, addressing the real-world issues of his time and thus greatly enhancing the practicality of Laozi’s philosophy of valuing softness.