What Confucius sees as the instrument for Man's "redemption" is, rather, the obstacle in the eyes of Taoists.
Tao is Incommunicable
The Tao that can be talked about is not the absolute Tao. Language cannot communicate Tao. Language can only give the address of Tao. The Tao that can be told of Is not the Absolute Tao; The Names that can be given Are not the Absolute Names
This inability of language to communicate Tao is due to the nature of Tao. Tao is One. If all is one, then there is no need for speech. Speech, language is communication between one person and another. Speech is needed in a world of distinct beings. This distinction is transcended in Tao. Chuangtse does realize that by being able to say "One," the existence of speech is confirmed.
If then all things are One, what room is there for speech? On the other hand, since I can say the word 'one' how can speech not exist? If it does exist, we have one and speech - two; and two and one - three from which point on even the best mathematicians will fail to reach (the ultimate); how much more then should ordinary people fail?
It is not that things cannot be expounded upon. Rather, it is the case that the Ultimate, Tao, cannot be reached through argumentation. To reach the Absolute one must
...harmonize (the words of argument) by means of the unity of God, and follow their natural evolution to the end of our days. All arguments are relative. What is wrong may appear to be right and what is right may appear to be wrong. Even if what appears so is really so, wherein it differs from what is not so also cannot be made plain by argument.
Therefore, there is a limit to knowledge and it is the wise man who knows when to say "I don't know." To be united with Tao is to be at rest within what we do not know. The world of things, the formed which are knowable, are manifestations of Tao which is formless and unknowable.
Opening Trunks
Confucius taught that Tao prevails when individuals "...behave correctly and society operates in the right manner..." "It is man that can make the Way (Tao) great...". There is a motive behind doing good. Laotse and Chuangtse opposed this vehemently, as demonstrated in Chuangtse's essay "Opening Trunks." Both Confucius and the Taoists recognized justice and humanity as the goal; Man and society were their concern. They differed drastically, however, on how this concern was to be addressed.
In "Opening Trunks," civilization and its institutions are seen to be the enemies of Man. What Confucius sees as the instrument for Man's "redemption" is, rather, the obstacle in the eyes of Taoists. According to Chuangtse, the institutions and laws that protect Man from murderers and thieves are the very instruments of death in the hands of the thieves that capture these institutions. The obstacles that society erects against destruction and exploitation are used for the destruction and exploitation of Man.
The precautions taken against thieves who open trunks...consist in securing with cords and fastening with bolts and locks...But a big thief comes along and carries off the cabinet on his shoulders... His only fear is that the cords and locks should not be strong enough!
He then goes on to demonstrate that this is true by relating a story about the State of C'hi that was run according to the rules of the Sages. Yet one morning T'ien Ch'engtse slew the ruler of Ch'i and stole his kingdom. And not his kingdom only, but the laws of the Sages as well; so that although T'ien Ch'engtse acquired the reputation of a thief, he lived as securely and comfortably as ever did either Yao or Shun. The small States did not venture to blame, nor the great States to punish him, and for twelve generations his descendants ruled over Ch'i .
This is the implication of seeing Tao as natural. Goodness is acheived by following one's nature rather than struggling to be good. All the laws of society are seen as intrusions on Man's natural goodness. The evil that men do is the result of being ignorant of Tao, of being blind to how nature works. The evil that is supposed to be avoided by following the laws, by being humane, by doing justice, is realized in the struggle to be good. It is only by being mystically united with Tao that Man's nature is realized, that goodness is practiced, that justice prevails. Any other "Way" leads to the death of the individual and society.
When the Sages arose, gangsters appeared. Overthrow the Sages and set the gangsters free, and then will the empire be in order.
Trample down all the institutions of the Sages, and the people will begin to be fit for discussing Tao .
When Man's original character lost its unity, men's lives were frustrated. When there was a general rush for knowledge, the people's desires went beyond their possessions.
Taoism is not against moral behavior. Taoists are against moral behavior that is motivated. The problem with laws and civilization is that they strive to induce morality. By doing so, Man creates structures that keep people from being moral. By emphasizing behavior rather than the source of behavior, civilization is tending to the branches of the tree rather than the root where the disease lies. To enforce moral behavior requires an apparatus that will serve the ruler with evil intentions as well as the ruler with good intentions. A powerful tool in the hands of the good man is still a powerful tool in the hands of the bad. Thus Chuangtse writes:
Until I can say that the wisdom of the Sages is not a fastener of cangues, and that humanity and justice are not handcuffs and shackles, how should I know that Tseng and Shih (good rulers) were not the singing arrows (signal for attack) of Chieh and Cheh (the gangsters)?
