# Shang Ti — Tao Te Ching character guide

> Shang Ti in Tao Te Ching by Laozi.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Ti, god Ti

**First appearance:** 0005-tao-te-ching

## Who they are

Supreme deity in ancient Chinese religion, referenced in Taoist context.

## Relationships

### [Laozi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/laozi)

_psychological_

Laozi reinterprets Shang Ti (the Supreme Deity) as an impersonal, natural force, transforming a traditional religious figure into a philosophical concept.

### [Chuang Tzŭ](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/chuang_tzu)

_psychological_

Chuang Tzŭ uses Shang Ti as a literary device to question the nature of divinity and authority, often with ironic or skeptical intent.

### [Confucius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/confucius)

_psychological_

Confucius references Shang Ti as a traditional supreme deity, but his focus is more on ritual and moral order than on divine intervention.

### [Laozi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/laozi)

_psychological_

Laozi reinterprets Shang Ti (the Supreme Deity) as an impersonal, natural force, transforming a traditional religious figure into a philosophical concept.

### [Chuang Tzŭ](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/chuang_tzu)

_psychological_

Chuang Tzŭ uses Shang Ti as a literary device to question the nature of divinity and authority, often with ironic or skeptical intent.

### [Chuang Tzŭ](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/chuang_tzu)

_psychological_

Chuang Tzŭ uses Shang Ti as a literary device to question the nature of divinity and authority, often with ironic or skeptical intent.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters/shang_ti
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tao_te_ching_se/characters