Quote
“All in the world know the beauty of the beautiful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what ugliness is; they all know the skill of the skilful, and in doing this they have (the idea of) what the want of skill is.
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What does this quotation mean?
From Chapter 2 (James Legge translation) of The Tao Teh King. Read the surrounding argument as well as the excerpt; its historical language and philosophical assumptions shape its meaning.
Sources and attribution
Verified
Source: The Tao Teh King , Chapter 2 (James Legge translation)
Edition: James Legge translation · Translated by James Legge
View reference ↗From The Tao Teh King
Excerpt checked against the linked public-domain English edition. Korean rendering and context note by Quotations; not an authorized translation. Historical punctuation is retained; line breaks and editorial footnote markers are normalized.
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