HELP! I don't understand what my professor is asking about Chinese Philosophy! please help!?

Question

I have to write a paper on this question in chinese philosophy.

The question is this, " Why does Lao Tzu think that "the female always gets the better of the male through stillness"?"

The book itself says this:
"the female always gets the better of the male through stillness,
through stillness, she places herself below the male.
and so, a great state, by placing itself below a lesser state, can take the lesser state,
a lesser state, by placing itself below a greater state, can be taken by the greater state.
and so, one places itself below in order to take;
the other places itself below in order to be taken.
the great state wants no more than to provide for all people alike.
the lesser state wants no more than to find someone to serve.
since both can get what they want, it is fitting that the great state place itself in the lower position.

What does this mean, and what is the proper response to the above question. Please, help me understand this question! Thank you!

Answer 1

If you are great, and approach someone with humility, you take him.

Chinese Philosophy, especially Lao Tzu is not like western logic. A lot is stated in metaphors and allegories so as a student, you will have to go into a paradigm shift if you want to understand it.

I know Lao Tzu because of his principle that "by doing nothing everything is done." There is a "Dao" or "way" in nature that allows everything to take care of itself. One does not govern by commanding. The less the great state interferes with affairs, the more it actually accomplishes. (Echoes of free trade?) Its in stark contrast with Confucius who has a code for almost everything. Daoism is more about surrendering yourself to nature's flow.

Its tough for me to explain too, but I hope I somehow helped.

Answer 2

If you rewrite the question to ask 'what is not stillness for this meaning' then the answer would be 'a kind of action that does not lend its self to the purpose of reproduction'. The other interpretation is that woman's nature is to submit, even though he trying to say that woman could be the greater in his belief for woman nature, but of course he is not saying that either. Personally I think he is full of his self and hence full of crap.

'one places itself below in order to take;
the other places itself below in order to be taken''

Which is the taken and which is the taker? And according to his nature one should be indignant if the one is taking from above from that which has placed his self below for the moment, but why would he be indignant if it is his pleasure to witness her actively expressing her Will in action, and he is the more still.


Lao Tzu wants the reader to perceive a transition of value from one to an other and at the same perceive this relation as an absolute immutable, unchanging condition. It may be a norm more times enacted than not, but it is not an absolute nor is it in its self a value differential. Perhaps he was trying say that in his strange way.

Answer 3

Lao Tzu is referring to the power of "humility." Overall his approach is about overcoming the ego urge to action, trying, getting, wanting, struggling, etc. He teaches about the power of disterest/detachment/stillness as the way to achieve power over reality - or achieving a stable state of internal/external synchronicity.

Following is a better translation than the one your professor provided:

What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river,---the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven converge; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility.

Therefore, if a great kingdom humbles itself before a small kingdom, it shall make that small kingdom its prize. And if a small kingdom humbles itself before a great kingdom, it shall win over that great kingdom. Thus the one humbles itself in order to attain, the other attains because it is humble. If the great kingdom has no further desire than to bring men together and to nourish them, the small kingdom will have no further desire than to enter the service of the other. But in order that both may have their desire, the great one must learn humility.

Answer 4

Yes One must grow down, we must allow are roots to grow otherwise we can be stuck-up. We are an energy orb that can slow down and settle down, down, down. Be off, still, and receptive of Bliss. Quietism is great, it's like what the Quakers practice. I make a concerted effort to quiet and still for the ones before knew and so should we.1~B~4~1

Answer 5

In addition to the comments that you have received here, you may also want to consider the different social context of men and women in Eastern and Western cultures and philosophy.

The original and the translation are an insult to women in Western culture.

Answer 6

If you don't understand what your professor is asking; how can we know? Why don't you ask him to make it a little clearer for you. He is the one who knows what he wants you to write about. Or ask another classmate.