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<p>Some interpreters claim that the <i>Daodejing</i> 道德經 is an atheistic text. This proposition can be contextualized within a broader tendency in the study of Chinese and Asian thought, which is that of denying that supposedly Western categories like “God,” “creation,” and “soteriology” are applicable outside the Western context. This paper makes the case that there is a viable reading of the <i>Daodejing</i> as containing a form of theism. I begin by offering some general methodological considerations about the use of Western categories in the study of Asian thought, criticizing the view that they are not applicable (§&#xa0;1). Then, I turn to the issue of whether the <i>Daodejing</i> can be read theistically (§&#xa0;2). First, I show that the claim that the <i>Daodejing</i> is not theistic is based on what I argue to be a narrow definition of “God” and introduce a less narrow way of defining the notion based on perfect being theology (§&#xa0;2.1). Then, I apply this notion to the <i>Daodejing</i> to show that the text can be read as containing a form of theism (§&#xa0;2.2).</p>

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Is Dao God?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月12日

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  • Davide Andrea Zappulli

摘要

Some interpreters claim that the Daodejing 道德經 is an atheistic text. This proposition can be contextualized within a broader tendency in the study of Chinese and Asian thought, which is that of denying that supposedly Western categories like “God,” “creation,” and “soteriology” are applicable outside the Western context. This paper makes the case that there is a viable reading of the Daodejing as containing a form of theism. I begin by offering some general methodological considerations about the use of Western categories in the study of Asian thought, criticizing the view that they are not applicable (§ 1). Then, I turn to the issue of whether the Daodejing can be read theistically (§ 2). First, I show that the claim that the Daodejing is not theistic is based on what I argue to be a narrow definition of “God” and introduce a less narrow way of defining the notion based on perfect being theology (§ 2.1). Then, I apply this notion to the Daodejing to show that the text can be read as containing a form of theism (§ 2.2).