Abstract:As an important category in Chinese philosophy, “De” is mainly an ethical category in Chinese ancient general documents. Although it also has the ethical meaning, the Taoist“De”is mainly a philosophical category and features the view of life whose basic connotation is that all things and men get their life and personalities from the ultimate source Tao. If Tao is the potential energy and ultimate source that give life, “De” is the realistic basis on which life is born. Such an understanding of “De” is fully displayed in Taoist canon, like Laotzu, Chuangtzu, and Huainantzu, forming a special ideological tradition that differs from other understandings of “De” theories and hence enriching the connotation of the Chinese philosophy.