Taoism originated two thousand years ago as a Chinese tradition of philosophy and religious beliefs. Taoism draws much of its philosophical principles from the Tao Te Ching. This classic text is one of the first books of the Chinese school of thought written by a contemporary of Confucius: Lao Tzu. Taoism revolves around the Tao and encourages harmonious and neutral interaction with one's environment. The ethics of Taoism are not strictly stated in the Tao Te Ching and can be difficult to decipher, but the metaphysical foundation of Taoism provides clues as to how to become a moral person. Metaphysics is an area of ​​philosophical thought that deals with the “fundamental nature of being and everything around it” (Geisler 446). The relationship between ultimate and peripheral realities within Taoism helps us apply metaphysical concepts to understand what beings should consider ethical. Metaphysics of Taoism The word "Tao", translated as "way" or "path", in ancient Chinese philosophy, is the metaphysical foundation of Taoism that corresponds to the ultimate reality. The Tao is supreme, as it exists before Heaven and Earth. In chapter twenty-five of the Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu writes: “There was something formless and yet complete,/ That existed before heaven and earth;/ Without sound, without substance,/ Dependent on nothing, unchanging…/ It is a real name that we do not know;/'Way'[Tao] is the nickname we give it.'” As human beings, living in a concrete and defined world, the Tao can be a difficult notion to understand because it lacks conceptualization. Consequently the Tao can easily be described in antagonistic terms. The Tao is not a being, rather it possesses non-being; therefore, the Tao should not be thought of as comparable... to the center of the card... ent. In the second chapter, Lao Tzu writes: “For truly Being and Non-being arise from each other.” We as human beings are ultimately connected and congruent with nature and all other entities. The actions and inactions of all individuals in our reality influence the existence of all other manifestations. For example, a person's choice not to act creates opportunities for other things to act, hindering alternative actions. Person A's choice not to tell Person B that they will be fired tomorrow before Person B takes out a loan allows Person B to learn the value of taking time to make important decisions, while the potential for Person B to prevent large debts is obscured. The metaphysical foundation of Taoism affirms that all beings are incessantly intertwined and places harmonious action at the forefront of ethical considerations. Metaethical role of the Tao