The Dissemination of Laozi’s Text and Thought in the Arab World

Based on Chinese and Arabic literature, this paper summarizes the spread of Laozi’s text and thought in the Arab world. The specific course of dissemination can be divided into two stages: from 1966 to 2000, the Dao De Jing was disseminated on the basis of indirect translations; from 2000 to today, the spread of the Dao De Jing in the Arab world reached a climax when the first direct translation was published. Laozi’s text and thought have gained acceptance and popularity largely because of their soothing function and similarity to the Sufi spirit found in Arab culture. The spread of Laozi’s text and thought in the Arab world presents three features: a long and friendly history of cultural exchange has served as a foundation; languages such as English and French have functioned as intermediaries; and similarities between Sufism and Daoism have provided points of connection.