Lea asked:

Where in the writings of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu is there a critique of Confucian metaphysics? I
have been searching for days and have yet to find any such attack. I have found Taoist critiques of
Confucian ethics and epistemology however, I have not been successful in finding an Taoist attack on
Confucian metaphysics (or more accurately the Confucian's lack of metaphysics). Also am I correct in
thinking that Confucians do no really have a metaphysics per se but that the neo-Confucians do?

As I am completely baffled and utterly frustrated, I would sincerely appreciate any help anyone can
give.

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I'm not an expert on Chinese philosophy, but to the best of my knowledge you didn't find a critique of
Confucianism in Lao Tsu of Chuang Tsu, because they didn't write one and were not known to have
done so. Moreover, to call their thinking, or that of Confucius himself, metaphysics, is quite
inappropriate. This is importing western concepts into the Tao, which is not compatible with our notion
of metaphysics. Such textbooks on Chinese philosophy as Chu Chai or Fung Yu Lang inform you on
their first pages that metaphysics is an absentee from classical Chinese philosophy. So perhaps your
search needs a re-examination of what you understand by metaphysics. Similarly with epistemology,
With that, you have mebaffled. I cannot remember reading a single epistemological text, critique or
even epigram between Confucius and Han Fei. Now I concede that in post-classical philosophy (say,
around the 11th century) there were some attempts to broaden the base of Chinese philosophy to
include epistemology; and as to metaphysics I suppose it is legitimate to call it that once Buddhism
infiltrated traditional doctrines. But I'm less certain on this and the best advice I can offer you is a
perusal of Wing Sit Chan's Sourcebook of Chinese Philosophy.You don't have to read it's over 1000
pages, but if you study the author's introductions to each section, you should have no trouble isolating
whichever trend or school showed metaphysical and/or epistemological leanings. Precious few, I
would say, always exceptional, and never part of the main stream. Hope this helps in a small way!

Jürgen Lawrenz

Sydney