The Inner Virtue of Dao

The highest virtue does not proclaim itself as virtue; thus it embodies true virtue.
The lower virtue clings to the form of virtue, thereby losing its essence.
Those of highest virtue act through natural non-action, without seeking recognition;
Those of lower virtue appear non-active, yet strategically uphold virtue’s facade.
Supreme benevolence acts selflessly, free from ulterior motives;
Supreme righteousness acts with purpose, driven by intent;
Supreme ritual enforces norms, and when ignored, resorts to coercion.

Thus:
After losing the Dao, society speaks of virtue;
After losing virtue, it speaks of benevolence;
After losing benevolence, it speaks of righteousness;
After losing righteousness, it speaks of ritual.
Ritual marks the thinning of trust and the dawn of chaos.
So-called “visionaries” who claim foresight chase the Dao’s superficial glamour—
This is the beginning of folly.

Therefore, the noble person dwells in substance (the Dao and virtue), not superficiality (ritual and law);
Rooted in authenticity, not chasing hollow appearances.
Hence, discard the latter and embrace the former.

Annotations:
1. Highest Virtue (上德) vs. Lower Virtue (下德):
- Highest Virtue: Natural, unselfconscious goodness, like sunlight nurturing life without boast.
- Lower Virtue: Artificial adherence to moral codes, akin to crafting elaborate rituals to flaunt one’s “virtue.”

1. Degradation Chain:
   Dao (natural order) → Virtue (spontaneous goodness) → Benevolence (conscious kindness) → Righteousness (rule-bound duty) → Ritual (enforced formality).
   Laozi argues that reliance on external systems (laws, rituals) signals the collapse of inner morality.

2. Hypocrisy of Ritual:

   • “Resorts to coercion” (攘臂而扔之): When rituals lose genuine adherence, authority imposes them by force—mirroring modern bureaucratic formalism.

   • “Thinning of trust” (忠信之薄): Ritual-dominated societies replace heartfelt trust with hollow etiquette (e.g., polite lies over honest dialogue).

3. The Noble Choice:

   • “Dwells in substance” (处其厚): Anchors in the Dao’s simplicity, like trees rooted in fertile soil.
   • “Discard the latter” (去彼取此): Rejects artifice (rituals, cunning) to reclaim innate virtue (natural non-action).
   •  

(This passage from Tao Te Ching Chapter 38 critiques Confucian values of benevolence, righteousness, and ritual. It exposes humanity’s shift from natural harmony to artificial constructs, asserting that true order stems from inner virtue, not external rules.)

Key Terms:
- Highest Virtue (上德): Translated to contrast with “lower virtue,” emphasizing organic integrity over performative morality.
- Non-Action (无为): Maintains consistency with prior translations, denoting alignment with natural flow.
- Substance vs. Superficiality (厚 vs. 薄): Rendered as “substance” (内在实质) and “superficiality” (表面虚饰) to highlight the moral dichotomy.

Philosophical Nuance:
- Retained terms like “visionaries” (前识者) with ironic quotation marks to convey Laozi’s skepticism toward intellectual pretension.
- Used “glamour” (浮华表象) to mirror the fleeting allure of ritualistic pomp.
- Emphasized the degenerative sequence (Dao → ritual) as a downward spiral into societal decay.

Style Consistency:
- Parallel structure in the degradation chain (“After losing…”) mirrors the original’s rhythmic decline.
- Balanced paradoxes (e.g., “virtue without virtue”) to reflect Laozi’s dialectical thought.
- Annotations contextualize culturally specific metaphors (e.g., sunlight, trees) for universal resonance.