InvisibleDao, VisibleDe, andDifféranceat Work inDao De Jing

Abstract

This paper, a cross-cultural exploration of the Chinese text Dao De Jing, retools Derrida's différance and his questions around the ‘relevant’ translation as a way to deepen an understanding of the heterogeneous and ambiguous aspects of ‘Dao ([Formula: see text])’, ‘De ([Formula: see text])’, ‘Qian ([Formula: see text])’ and Kun ([Formula: see text]). While tracing the etymological roots and evolutions of these Chinese characters that are key to the spirit of Dao De Jing, this paper highlights its polysemic ambiguity and moral productivity, in particular, and shows, with Derrida, how one can benefit from paying deconstructive attention to the “body” of the text that endures the test of time such as acts of translation.