I have come to learn how difficult it is to convince people that ancient Chinese philosophy really might have something interesting to say to the modern world.  When I say the words "Chinese philosophy," eyes glaze over and heads drop.  It all seems so remote and ethereal.  But I struggle on anyway, with my trusty blog…

    So, I was a bit depressed to see (somewhat belatedly) this post by Daniel Gross over at Slate on the overuse of Chinese proverbs by US corporate executives.  The instances he cites seem to me to reduce the world of Chinese thought to a series of bromides.  Gross rightly points out that the saying – "May you live in interesting times" – is not Chinese, as I pointed out last year.  But he makes a glaring error himself.  The line – "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime" – is not from Lao Tzu.  It is not in the Tao Te Ching, the book supposedly authored by Lao Tzu.  Also, the historical identity of Lao Tzu is very much in doubt; I tend to agree with AC Graham that there was probably no such person.  So, at the very least, if the line is attributed to Lao Tzu in some source other than the Tao Te Ching, it should be cited to that specific source as a sort of hearsay.  It’s not Lao Tzu.