HSG-Vortrag von Attilio Andreini: „A Comparative Exegesis of De 德 in Light of Laozi 38 and Its Commentarial Traditions“

22. Mai 2025, von AAI Webmaster

Foto: HSG e.V.

Die Abteilung für Sprache und Kultur Chinas und die Hamburger Sinologische Gesellschaft laden zu einem Vortrag von Herrn Dr. Attilio Andreini (Venedig) am Donnerstag, 22.5.25 um 18 Uhr in Raum 123 am AAI ein.

A Comparative Exegesis of De 德 in Light of Laozi 38 and Its Commentarial Traditions

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.