tao Chinese term meaning ‘path’, ‘way’, ‘account’. From the sense of a literal path, road, or way, the term comes to mean a way of doing something (e.g., living one’s life or organizing society), especially the way advocated by a particular individual or school of thought (‘the way of the Master,’ ‘the way of the Mohists,’ etc.). Frequently, it refers to the way of doing something, the right way (e.g., ‘The Way has not been put into practice for a long time’). Tao also came to refer to the linguistic account that embodies or describes a way. Finally, in some texts the tao is a metaphysical entity. For example, in Neo-Confucianism, tao is identified with li (principle). In some contexts it is difficult to tell what sense is intended. See also LI1, NEO-CONFUCIANIS.
B.W.V.N.