New Chinese Philosophy Research Method
In writing this thesis, I would like to borrow the methods of philosophical research mentioned by Professor Lao Siguang in his History of Chinese Philosophy. First and foremost, we have to take a look at the problem being addressed by the philosopher in question, in this case the author of the Dao De Jing. The first step is to try and extrapolate a system from the text. The next step would be to investigate the historical background in which the text was written and the final step is to analyze what the text means in this context. From there, the thesis will try and speculate further on how the text can be used to advance philosophical thought.