Tao Te Ching Chapter 18
Original Chinese Text
大道废，有仁义；
智慧出，有大伪；
六亲不和，有孝慈；
国家昏乱，有忠臣。
Pinyin (Pronunciation)
Dàdào fèi, yǒu rényì;
Zhìhuì chū, yǒu dà wěi;
Liùqīn bùhé, yǒu xiàocí;
Guójiā hūnluàn, yǒu zhōngchén.
白话文翻译 (Plain Chinese Translation)
- 大道废，有仁义
- 当大道被废弃时，才会强调仁义。
- When the Great Tao is abandoned, “benevolence and righteousness” appear.
- 智慧出，有大伪
- 当智巧出现时，才会产生严重的虚伪。
- When “wisdom” emerges, great hypocrisy follows.
- 六亲不和，有孝慈
- 当家庭不和睦时，才会提倡孝慈。
- When family harmony is lost, “filial piety and parental love” are praised.
- 国家昏乱，有忠臣
- 当国家陷入混乱时，才会出现忠臣。
- When the nation is in chaos, “loyal ministers” are recognized.
Key Concepts Explained
- 大道 (Dàdào) – The natural order of the Tao, where harmony exists without labels.
- 仁义 (rényì) – Confucian virtues that arise only after true harmony is lost.
- 大伪 (dà wěi) – The artificiality created by human “wisdom” (contrast with Chapter 19’s “绝圣弃智”).
Philosophical Essence
- The Paradox of Virtue
- Virtues like benevolence and loyalty are symptoms of decline, not causes of harmony.
- Compare to:
- Rousseau’s “Noble savage” concept (artificial society corrupts natural goodness)
- Zhuangzi’s critique of Confucian morality
- Hierarchy of Social Decay
社会层面 和谐状态 堕落表现 宇宙 大道盛行 无为而治 社会 自然秩序 强调仁义 家庭 天然和睦 提倡孝慈 国家 政治清明 表彰忠臣 - Implicit Criticism
- Targets Confucian over-reliance on rules (呼应 Chapter 38’s “失道而后德”)
- True harmony requires returning to simplicity (Chapter 19’s solution)
“We don’t call air ‘good’ until it’s polluted.”
— Modern analogy for how virtues signal lost purity