Lost and found Latin Laozi text reveals early global dialogue

A Latin translation of the Tao Te Ching, forgotten in the British Library for more than 300 years, has recently been rediscovered and published through the efforts of Misha Tadd, a scholar at Nankai University in Tianjin.

The Tao Te Ching, written by ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi, stands alongside the Analects of Confucius as a cornerstone of Chinese philosophical thought. Centered on core concepts, it explores the fundamental principles of the cosmos, human life, and governance.

Tadd says, "Compared with the Analects of Confucius, which is rooted in the specific ritual norms of the social structure of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), the Tao Te Ching does not involve specific names, places, or social systems."

This quality allows it to transcend cultural boundaries and speak directly to universal human concerns across different civilizations: What is our relationship with the universe? What constitutes an ideal state of existence? And what is the essence of true wisdom?

Tadd's connection with the Tao Te Ching began at the age of 14, when he came across an English edition in a small-town library in the United States. That chance encounter sparked a lifelong interest in Chinese culture.

Years later, while studying a Latin translation of The Republic by Plato, Tadd wondered if Tao Te Ching could also be translated into Latin. His search eventually led him to the British Library, where he discovered a Latin manuscript of the text, translated by early missionaries.

He discovered that parts of the manuscript were faded and incomplete, and it was not until 2022 that he obtained a full digital scan of the work. He spent a long time transcribing, comparing, and annotating the text word by word. "It requires enduring patience," Tadd says.

During this process, Tadd developed the concept of Global Laozegetics.

In his view, traditional Laozegetics refers to the annotations and research on the Tao Te Ching conducted by Chinese scholars over the past 2,000 years. The unique value of this Latin translation, however, lies in its documentation of the text's early steps toward globalization.

"One distinctive feature of this translation is that the translator referred to a large number of traditional Chinese annotations," Tadd explains. "He would write in Chinese next to the text, 'Su Zhe says this', or 'Wang Bi interprets it this way', and sometimes even translate these commentaries into Latin."

It shows that this Latin version is not merely a textual conversion but a profound convergence between traditional Laozegetics and Western thought.

Global Laozegetics does not seek to replace traditional Laozegetics, but rather encompasses it, examining the ever-evolving interpretive traditions of the Tao Te Ching across different languages and cultures through a global lens.

Chen Guying, a Taoism scholar and professor at Peking University, says this discovered translation broadens the academic understanding of the text's translation history and holds significant academic value for the international dissemination of Chinese philosophy.

"Misinterpretation" often arises in discussions of the Tao Te Ching, but Tadd takes a more open view.

This is because the text is so inherently succinct and ambiguous, it has left room for diverse interpretations.

Tadd believes that what we often consider "misinterpretations" are instances where translators followed a specific traditional Chinese interpretive path or engaged in a creative transformation based on their own cultural context. These form part of intellectual history and can even inspire new ways of thinking.

He points out that when Buddhism entered China during the Wei (220-265) and Jin (265-420) dynasties, monks also used Taoist concepts to translate Buddhist scriptures and interpret Laozi, thereby enriching the essence of Chinese philosophy.

The 18th-century European missionaries' interpretation of the Tao Te Ching was also a demonstration of cross-cultural philosophical dialogue.

"The thought system of the Tao Te Ching is rooted in China, but its interpretation and influence are now truly global," Tadd says.

Liu Yuanqing contributed to this story.