A study on the History of Commentary on Laozi(老子) through five interpretation types Ⅱ: Metaphysical Interpretation

This paper deals with the metaphysical interpretations of Laozi (老子), focusing on the works of Eom Gunpyeong(嚴君平)’s Laozi Zigu (老子指歸) and Wang P'il(王弼)'s Laozi Zhu(老子注). Generally, Wang P'il's Laozi Zhu is characterized by its metaphysical interpretative approach. Here, the author questions whether Wang P'il's metaphysical interpretation was truly an original insight unique to him. The conclusion is that there was already a typical metaphysical interpretation before Wang P'il, namely Eom Gunpyeong's Laozi Zigu from the late Western Han period. To substantiate this point, the author conducted the following analyses: First, by analyzing the Yuan Wu Lun(元無論) in Laozi Zigu, it was revealed that in Laozi Zigu, the concept of 'Wu(無)' (nothingness) merges both cosmological and ontological aspects. Second, it was demonstrated that in Laozi Zigu, the term 'Wu' is often equated with the 'Dao(道)'. Third, by analyzing Wang P'il's Gui Wu Lun(貴無論), it was shown that its main ideas such as 'Yi Wu Wei Ben(以無爲本)'(taking nothingness as fundamental) and 'Yi Wu Wei Dao(以無爲道)' (taking nothingness as the Dao) can be traced back to the origins within Laozi Zigu. Through these discussions, it was confirmed that Wang P'il's theory of 'Gui Wu(貴無)'(respect for nothingness) and his scholarly thought were directly influenced by the ontological reasoning of Laozi Zigu, and that the concept of 'Wu' (nothingness) serves as a philosophical core, establishing a continuity between these ideas.