Vortrag von Attilio Andreini: "De 德 in Light of Laozi 38"

Die HSG lädt alle Interessierten zu einem Vortrag von Attilio Andreini  (Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia) mit dem Titel "A Comparative Exegesis of De 德 in Light of Laozi 38 and Its Commentarial Traditions" ein:  

This presentation offers a comparative exegesis of Stanza 38 of the Laozi Daodejing, focusing on the semantic and conceptual complexities of de 德. Dra­wing on influential commentaries this analysis traces the evolving linkages between de and other technical philosophical terms: Dao 道 (the Way), wuwei 無為 (non-assertive action), xu 虛 (emptiness), de 得 (attainment), shi 失 (loss), and bao 報 (reciprocity). These connections form a semantic constellation around de, reflecting divergent hermeneutic agendas, often in tension with one another.

Rather than framing the commentarial tradition as a deviation from or fidelity to an 'authentic' Laozi-centric reading, this study highlights the interpretive polyph­ony inherent in several classical Chinese texts. The multiplicity of readings – from Wang Bi’s metaphysical de as spontaneous alignment with Dao, to Heshang Gong’s corporeal de as vital force (qi 氣), and the Han Feizi’s instru­mental de as political munificence – demonstrates that commentaries serve not to obscure but to intensify the generative potential of the Laozi.

By situating these interpretations within their philosophical and historical con­texts, the presentation argues that the Laozi’s enduring legacy lies not in a singular “original” meaning but in its capacity to inspire layered, context-bound reinter­pretations. This dynamic interplay between classical texts and their commentar­ial afterlives underscores the text’s role as a living tradition, infused with fresh significance by the exegetical sensibilities of diverse historical contexts.

Donnerstag, 22.05.2025, 18 Uhr

Edmund-Siemers-Allee 1

Flügel Ost – Raum 123