Eighteen - The Great Pretense
At first blush, we might interpret Eighteen (in the way we did Thirteen) as referring to the time when the “Great Masters” knew it all, the time we have lost in the degraded existence of present history. But I think such an interpretation would miss the point.
When the Tao is forgotten,
Kindness and morality arise
Taken unreflectively, one might think this statement contradicts what we have learned about the Tao. But this is not so. Lao Tsu is saying that when one begins to live one’s life separated (in some sense) from the Tao, then human beings need a set of rules or moral principles to live their lives. If one were living the Tao (The Way), no appeal to external principles would be necessary.
There is a long tradition in Western Philosophy of similar kinds of ideas. Charles Peirce referred to this phenomenologically as “Firstness” - a monadic relationship. Experientially we just are the thing in question (saying “thing” here misses the gist as well). The monadic relationship is firstness, dyadic relationship (or comparative) is secondness, and triadic relationship (interpretive - semiosis) is thirdness. Interestingly, it is thirdness that characterizes human intelligence for Peirce. Along these lines, Lao Tsu tells us, “When wisdom and intelligence are born, The great pretense begins.” Perhaps we need to get back to Firstness? From an ethical point of view, the difference is being governed by some external moral rule as opposed to internalizing the moral principle, for example Kant’s moral imperative.
When the country is confused and in chaos,
Loyal ministers appear.
If ever there were proof that Lao Tsu’s wisdom applies to our current condition, this statement is it. I like McDonald’s translation here:
When the country falls into chaos,
politicians talk about “patriotism.”