The _Daodejing_ and the _LUshi chunqiu_: Huang-Lao cosmic and political order

This chapter explores how the authors of the Lüshi Chunqiu (LSCQ) employed passages, concepts, and images from the Daodejing (DDJ) to create the LSCQ’s unique political philosophy. Passages from both of those texts show that at least some of the authors of the LSCQ were influenced by the DDJ. Those authors praise and quote various figures who were labeled “Daoists” in the Han Dynasty. The LSCQ cites the DDJ, and its art of efficient and effective governing utilizes DDJ concepts. The DDJ influences various forms of Huang-Lao political philosophy. The LSCQ deploys DDJ concepts, while claiming to transmit teachings attributed to the Yellow Emperor. The LSCQ’s authors welded DDJ ideas to concepts from other philosophers, especially the Yin-Yang Wuxing (陰陽五行 Yin-Yang Five Phases) philosophy along with concepts from other philosophers and disciplines. The LSCQ’s political philosophy is based on the Dao-centered self-cultivation of the ruler, and the ruler and ministers engaging in timely projects, especially the performance of complex calendric, seasonal, ritual-technology. The performance of timely ritual-technology was considered crucial for good government by many pre-Qin philosophers. The chapter shows that ritual-technology was believed to control the climate, and the LSCQ provides one of the earliest proposals that human actions can and do impact climate change. Key words: Huang-Lao, political order, wuwei, ritual technology, self-cultivation, quiescence