Translation: Sever sagacity and discard cleverness, and the people's benefit will increase a hundredfold.
Analysis: The most mainstream interpretation. "Sagacity" (圣) and "cleverness" (智) are paired as the finest of talents (in Wang Bi's words). Laozi held that when rulers parade their sagacity and employ stratagems, it instead provokes competition and opportunism among the people. Discarding these artificial standards allows the people to benefit naturally. This is consistent with Chapter 3's dictum: "Do not exalt the worthy, so that the people shall not compete."
Similar views: Wang Bi: "圣智，才之善也" ("Sagacity and cleverness are the finest of talents") — directly interpreting "绝" as severing and discarding.
Translation: Sever the institutions created by the sages and discard (artificial) wisdom, and the people's benefit will increase a hundredfold.
Analysis: Heshanggong's interpretation. "Sagacity" (圣) here specifically refers to the sages' institutional creations — the Five Emperors' ceremonial systems, Cangjie's invention of writing, and other civilizational innovations. Laozi advocates returning to the era of the Three Sovereigns, when knotted cords were used for record-keeping in pristine simplicity. "Discard wisdom" means "abandon wisdom and return to non-action (无为)." This interpretation directs its critique at civilization itself.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "绝圣制作，反初守元。五帝垂象，仓颉作书，不如三皇结绳无文" ("Sever the sages' institutions and return to the origin. The Five Emperors established ceremonial patterns and Cangjie created writing, yet none of these surpass the Three Sovereigns' knotted cords without written language").
Translation: Transcend (what the world calls) sagacity and discard (artificial) cleverness, and the people's benefit will increase a hundredfold.
Analysis: "绝" is taken in the sense of "transcend." This interpretation is more moderate: it does not call for the elimination of sagacity and cleverness themselves, but rather for transcending the narrow, worldly glorification of "sagacity" and "wisdom." True sagacity does not regard itself as sage-like, and true wisdom does not rely on cleverness to act. This reading resolves the mischaracterization of Laozi as "anti-intellectual."
Similar views: Some modern scholars emphasize the transcendent sense of "绝" rather than the eliminative sense.
Translation: Discard (artificially contrived) benevolence and righteousness, and the people will instead return to natural filial piety and compassion.
Analysis: The mainstream interpretation. What Laozi criticizes is not benevolence and righteousness themselves, but the ills that arise once they degenerate into hollow formalities. Chapter 18 of the Tao Te Ching states: "When the great Tao (道) is abandoned, benevolence and righteousness appear" — benevolence and righteousness are substitutes that emerge after the great Tao is lost. When benevolence and righteousness become external labels and instruments of self-interest, they actually obstruct people's heartfelt filial piety and compassion. Remove the false morality, and genuine feeling naturally flows forth.
Similar views: This echoes Chapter 18's statement: "When the six family relationships are out of harmony, filial piety and compassion appear."
Translation: Sever the benevolence that flaunts its favors and discard the righteousness that extols flowery words, and the people will instead return to filial piety and compassion.
Analysis: Heshanggong's interpretation. It specifically identifies the defect of "benevolence" (仁) as "flaunting favors" (见恩惠), and the defect of "righteousness" (义) as "extolling flowery rhetoric" (尚华言). When rulers no longer parade their generosity in the name of benevolence and righteousness, nor engage in empty moral sermonizing, moral transformation naturally deepens, and the people's innate filial piety and compassion spontaneously return.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "绝仁之见恩惠，弃义之尚华言。德化淳也" ("Sever benevolence that flaunts its favors, discard righteousness that extols flowery words. Then moral transformation becomes genuine").
Translation: Transcend (worldly definitions of) benevolence and righteousness, and the people will instead return to natural filial piety and compassion.
Analysis: "绝" is taken in the sense of "transcend." The point is not to abolish benevolence and righteousness, but to transcend their formalized frameworks. True benevolence and righteousness need no proclamation, just as true filial piety and compassion arise from innate nature. Transcend artificially codified moral precepts, and let innate nature manifest naturally.
Similar views: This resonates with Zhuangzi's idea: "If sages do not die, great thieves will never cease."
Translation: Sever cunning artifice and discard the pursuit of profit, and thieves and robbers will no longer arise.
Analysis: The most commonly accepted interpretation. When society does not prize cunning artifice as ability, nor glorify the pursuit of profit, people lose the motivation to risk becoming thieves. "Cunning" (巧) is the inducement of method; "profit" (利) is the inducement of purpose. Eliminate both, and crime naturally disappears. This is consistent with Chapter 3: "Do not prize rare goods, so the people will not steal."
Similar views: Wang Bi: "巧利，用之善也" ("Cunning and profit are the finest forms of utility"). Heshanggong: "上化公正，下无邪私" ("When those above transform through impartiality and justice, those below will have no deviant selfishness").
Translation: Sever extravagant craftsmanship and discard sharp implements, and thieves and seditious subjects will no longer exist.
Analysis: Heshanggong's interpretation. "Cunning" (巧) specifically refers to deceptive arts that confuse the genuine with the false (诈伪乱真), and "profit" (利) specifically refers to refined, sharp implements that arouse covetousness. This interpretation concretizes the objects of critique: not merely abstract "cunning" and "selfishness," but specific technologies and material civilization — these things stimulate people's greed and are the root cause of theft and banditry.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "绝巧者，诈伪乱真也。弃利者，塞贪路闭权门也" ("To sever cunning means eliminating deception that confuses the genuine. To discard profit means blocking the path of greed and closing the gates of privilege").
Translation: Sever the art of the most skillful utilization, and thieves and robbers will no longer arise.
Analysis: Wang Bi treats "cunning-profit" (巧利) as a unified concept meaning "the finest form of utility" (用之善也) — the most skillful means of utilization. Yet even the most skillful means of utilization, Laozi advocates severing. For all "finest uses" can degenerate into instruments of cunning exploitation.
Similar views: Wang Bi: "巧利，用之善也。而直云绝" ("Cunning and profit are the finest forms of utility — yet [Laozi] simply says 'sever'").
Translation: These three, as verbal formulations, are not yet sufficient.
Analysis: The most commonly accepted traditional interpretation. Laozi himself recognizes that merely offering three negative propositions (severing sagacity and cleverness, benevolence and righteousness, cunning and profit) is not yet complete; he still needs to provide positive guidance on what direction people should follow. "文" (wén) means verbal formulation and articulation. Wang Bi's commentary on this sentence specifically notes: "直云绝，文甚不足" ("Simply saying 'sever' is far too terse in wording") — merely saying "sever and discard" is too abbreviated and requires supplementation with positive guidance.
Similar views: Wang Bi: "而直云绝，文甚不足，不令之有所属，无以见其指" ("Simply saying 'sever,' the wording is far from sufficient; without giving people something to adhere to, there is no way to reveal the true intent").
Translation: These three, regarded as mere external embellishments, are not sufficient.
Analysis: "文" (wén) is taken in the sense of "embellishment, external ornamentation." This interpretation implies that even if one treats sagacity and cleverness, benevolence and righteousness, and cunning and profit merely as ornamental problems of civilization to discuss, that is not sufficient. They are not just "ornamental" issues to be debated, but deep-seated social pathologies. Therefore, one must positively identify the root cure.
Similar views: Some scholars interpret "文" as "civilizational embellishment."
Translation: These three, as edifying precepts, are not yet adequate.
Analysis: Heshanggong's interpretation. "文" (wén) is taken in the sense of "edifying precepts and directives for the people." Merely stating what to "sever and discard" is insufficient for educating the people — the people do not know what they should do. Therefore, positive life principles and a direction of belonging must be provided.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "以为文不足者，文不足以教民" ("That they are insufficient as precepts means the precepts are insufficient to educate the people").
Translation: Therefore, let people have something to adhere to: manifest the plain and natural, embrace the uncarved block, reduce selfishness, and curtail desires.
Analysis: The most commonly accepted interpretation. "Manifest plainness" (见素) and "embrace simplicity" (抱朴), "reduce selfishness" (少私) and "curtail desires" (寡欲) form two parallel couplets. "素" (sù) is undyed white silk; "朴" (pǔ) is uncarved wood — both symbolize natural states free of artificial adornment. "Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity" means displaying one's true colors and upholding authenticity. "Reduce selfishness, curtail desires" means diminishing private interests and curbing greed. These eight characters constitute Laozi's positive life principles and serve as the constructive alternative following the preceding "severances and discards."
Similar views: Wang Bi: "故令人有所属，属之于素朴寡欲" ("Therefore let people have something to adhere to — adhere to plainness, simplicity, and few desires").
Translation: Manifest one's true nature and embrace honest simplicity, reduce selfishness and curtail desires.
Analysis: Heshanggong's interpretation. "素" (sù) is taken in the sense of "true nature," and "朴" (pǔ) in the sense of "honest and substantial simplicity." "Manifest plainness" means "embrace simplicity and preserve the genuine, without esteeming ornamental embellishment." "Embrace simplicity" means displaying one's honest, substantial simplicity as an example for all under heaven. "Reduce selfishness" means "rectify oneself to be without selfishness," and "curtail desires" means "one should know contentment." This interpretation understands "manifest plainness, embrace simplicity" specifically as the virtues that rulers should exemplify through personal conduct.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "见素者，当抱素守真，不尚文饰也。抱朴者，当见其笃朴，以示下，故可法则" ("To manifest plainness is to embrace simplicity and preserve the genuine, without esteeming ornamental embellishment. To embrace simplicity is to display one's honest, substantial nature to those below as a model to emulate").
Translation: Therefore, let there be an injunction to follow: perceive plainness and embrace the genuine, reduce selfishness and curtail desires.
Analysis: "属" (shǔ) is read as a phonetic loan for "嘱" (zhǔ), meaning "injunction, instruction to follow." "见" (jiàn) is taken in its primary sense of "to see, to perceive" — people should be able to perceive the beauty of plainness (rather than being dazzled by ornamentation) and embrace what is simple and genuine. This interpretation emphasizes guiding people toward a new aesthetic of values — learning to appreciate and pursue simplicity.
Similar views: Some philologists adopt the reading of "属" as a phonetic loan for "嘱."
Translation: Reduce selfishness and curtail all desires.
Analysis: "欲" (yù) is taken in the broadest sense of all psychological desires. "Reduce selfishness, curtail desires" means not merely restraining material desires, but also the desire for fame (the pursuit of reputation), the desire for power (the craving for authority), and the desire for knowledge (the greed for learning). This echoes the earlier "sever sagacity and discard cleverness" — the excessive pursuit of knowledge and wisdom is itself a form of "desire." Heshanggong's gloss of "curtail desires" as "know contentment" is supremely apt.
Similar views: Heshanggong: "少私者，正无私也。寡欲者，当知足也" ("To reduce selfishness is to be truly without selfishness. To curtail desires is to know contentment"). This resonates with Chapter 46: "No calamity is greater than not knowing contentment."
This chapter contains 16 interpretation combinations.
[Core Divergences]
Chapter 19 is one of the most controversial chapters in the Tao Te Ching, crystallizing Laozi's critical attitude toward civilization and institutions. The chapter's structure comprises the "three severances, three discards" (the negative aspect) plus "manifest plainness, embrace simplicity; reduce selfishness, curtail desires" (the positive aspect). The core divergences are: (1) Does "绝" mean "to sever" or "to transcend"? This determines whether Laozi is a radical anti-intellectualist or a moderate transcendentalist. (2) Wang Bi and Heshanggong characterize sagacity/cleverness, benevolence/righteousness, and cunning/profit in diametrically opposite ways — Wang Bi acknowledges them as, respectively, "the finest of talents," "the finest of human [qualities]," and "the finest of utility" (all good things), and argues that Laozi's radicalism lies precisely in "severing even the finest"; Heshanggong contends that what is being severed has already been corrupted — false sagacity, contrived benevolence and righteousness, deceptive cunning and profit. (3) The concluding eight characters, "manifest plainness, embrace simplicity; reduce selfishness, curtail desires" (见素抱朴，少私寡欲), represent one of Laozi's rare positive prescriptions. The two images of "素" (undyed white silk) and "朴" (uncarved wood) constitute the core of Laozi's ideal character — a return to authenticity and a refusal of adornment. This chapter is the obverse of Chapter 18: Chapter 18 diagnoses the malady (when the great Tao is abandoned → benevolence and righteousness arise); Chapter 19 prescribes the remedy (sever benevolence and righteousness → return to plainness and simplicity).