i/8 SSAYS SCIENTIFIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL. 



its own law, and so finds himself in accord with 

 the universe, with men, and with himself. This 

 practical system was that which came to be con- 

 sidered orthodox, and the deeper and more specu- 

 lative interpretation of Tao came to be looked 

 upon as heresy, but as a heresy which was 

 tolerated, not persecuted. 



It is obvious to any student of the history of 

 thought that when the practical and speculative 

 .elements in human nature are thus separated the 

 divergence will rapidly increase. Metaphysics 

 divorced from morals will become, as it always 

 does, more and more mystical, and even defiantly 

 antinomian ; while morals deprived of its meta- 

 physical or theological basis become a sterotyped 

 system of rules of conduct, as powerless to furnish 

 a motive for conduct as it is to stimulate moral 

 progress. 



I propose to take the philosophy of Chuang- 

 Tzu as an undoubted representation of Taoism, 

 though of course representing a later development 

 of the doctrine. What Lao-Tzu, the founder of 

 Taoism, taught it is impossible to say, while the 

 authenticity of the "Tao-Te-Ching" is still under 

 dispute. But the philosophy of Chuang-Tzu, who 

 lived some two centuries after Lao-Tzu, and was 

 -obably a contemporary of Mencius, is now thrown 

 * ordinary people by Mr. Giles' translation. 

 , and not in any sense a religion. 



