『노자』에서 ‘유덕자’는 가능한가? - 『노자』 38장을 중심으로

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the virtue of the virtuous person and the importance of the actual life in the view of Laozi's De(德). The usage of De(德) in the ancient Chinese text, we can find that the meaning of De are through humility and concession in the social relation, and it implies that the virtuous person is marked by good deeds. Furthermore, the concept of De means the kind character of the virtuous person. These features of De are found in Laozi, and Laozi creates the meaning of the concept De, in the different way of Confucian's. Laozi founded the concept Dao(道) as a metaphysical basis of De, and he regarded the existence principle of Dao as the principle of individuation. So we can find that the De of human-being equals the Dao, the virtuous person requires the lack of selfishness as a prerequisite in the motives & result of real act. The virtuous person' De is realized in the way of humility & concession, as well the restoration of the original state, and it implies that someone has good-natured, reliable and disputeless character. The virtuous person in the view of Laozi, practices an interaction relationship through humility & concession in the social relationship, and aims at the public interests. So, the virtuous person in the view of Laozi, provides the interests and effects to the social formation.