在《道德经》的象征主义中，女性隐喻、词汇、意象如“水”、“山谷”、“道”的运用非常丰富，主要分为两类。第一类以母亲和女性身体为中心，来象征作为宇宙神秘起源的“道”。第二类是传统上与女性和女性特质有关的形象，作为道家价值观的隐喻。本文运用女性主义哲学家西蒙娜·德·波伏娃在《第二性》中的理论框架（社会建构主义理论），分析了中国学者刘笑敢、王罗宾、马琳、赖蕴慧、陈张婉辛、刘殿爵，以及西方学者如安乐哲、李约瑟、莎拉·艾琳、德西埃·米勒和利维娅·科恩等人对《道德经》中的“女性隐喻、意象和词汇”的不同哲学解读。他们解读的异同为进一步的研究开创了一个前景。一些哲学家认为，道家哲学是女性主义的，并支持女性主义的取向。德西埃·米勒等学者认为，《道德经》通过行文的各种技巧，如巧妙和诗意的语言、象征和隐喻，为其“原女权主义”概念奠定了基础。然而，安乐哲、郝大维指责他夸大了母系社会政治家的立场，并表示道家对男性和女性关系的概念，是相互依存、包容和互补的。根据两种阐释的异同，笔者将这些观点分为三类，即“准女性主义历史论证”、“相关论证”和“政治论证”。因此，本文以道教传统的早期作品为媒介提出了“《道德经》中女性主义的跨文化研究方法”，力图提供新的见解并促进对女性概念的理解。

笔者认为，《道德经》超越了性别角色，绝不会有等级性别二分法，也就是说，是性别平等的。此外，在《道德经》中的女性形象并不证明传统的女性观是正确的，因此，女性的哲学意象应该依赖于这种思考、认识、感受和想象的方式。此外，与“道”永远创造、转化和超越的运行方式一样，个体不能被定义；因此，个体必须创造自己的身份，而不是局限于文化建构的既定性别角色。此外，在《道德经》中使用的女性议题也支持了西蒙娜·德·波伏娃提出的非二分法的观点。《道德经》和《第二性》提供了一种超越性别二分法的途径。因此，女性可以像男性那样，成为一个独立、自主、自我决定和理性的个体，而男性也可以像传统意义上的女性一样，成为一个关系型、温柔型、被动型、关心型、情感型和养育型的个体，这表明应该对不同的性别取向给予尊重。

In the Daodejing symbolism, feminine metaphors, words, and images such as water, valley, and Dao have been used in a prolific manner, primarily classified into two categories . The first category looks at the female body and mother metaphors for the Dao, which is the enigmatic root of the universe. The second category includes representations that have historically been aligned with femininity and women as symbols for Daoists’ ideals. Using feminist Philosopher Simone De Beauvoir’s theoretical framework (Social Constructivism Theory) from The Second Sex, this thesis analyzes different philosophical interpretations of the feminine symbolism, metaphors, images, and words in the Daodejing. These interpretations have been written by various Chinese Scholars such as Liu Xiaogan, Robin R. Wang, Lin Ma, Karyn Lai, Ellen Marrie Chen, D.C Lau, as well as western Scholars, such as Roger T. Ames, Joseph Needham, Sarah Allyn, Dessie Miller, and Livia Kohn, respectively. The similarities and differences among their works’ interpretations leave a gap and open a vista for further research as some philosophers believe that Daoist Philosophy is feminine and in support of feminism in terms of its orientations. Some scholars, such as Dessie Miller, claim that the Daodejing, through various techniques such as clever and poetic use of language, symbolism, and metaphors, lays a framework for the idea of "proto-feminism" within its pages. However, Roger T. Ames, David Hall accuses him of overstating the matriarchal society’s statement and says that, Daoist notion towards masculinity and femininity is mutually interdependent, inclusive, and complementary. Based on the similarities and differences in the interpretation, the author divides their perspectives into three categories, which are “quasi-feminist historical demonstration,” Correlative demonstration,” and the “Political demonstration. Thus, the author in this thesis seeks to provide new insights and advance the understanding of the concept of femininity as it is mediated through the preserved earlier work of Daoist tradition and come up with the entitled “Transcultural Approach” to the feminine aspects in the Daodejing.

The author concludes that the Daodejing transcends gender roles and, there should not any dichotomy based on hierarchial gender norms, which means that there must be gender equality. Besides, in the Daodejing, the feminine images don’t justify the traditional notions of femininity. Thus, the philosophical imagery into the feminine relies on this as a way of thinking, knowing, experiencing, and desiring. Furthermore, synonymous with the form of the Dao, which is forever creating, transforming, and transcending, an individual cannot be defined; thus, an individual must make their distinct recognition and not confine themselves to the stereotypical gender roles constructed by the societies and cultures. Moreover, the feminine aspects used in the Daodejing support the perspective of non-dichotomy, which Simone De Beauvoir also gives. Thus, the Daodejing and The Second Sex offer a way to transcend gender dichotomy. Hence, a woman could be difined as an independent, autonomous, self-determinate, and rational individual just as a man is expected to be. In the sameway, a man can be relational, gentle, passive, caring, emotional, and nurturing, like a woman in the traditional sense, which shows that there shall be respect for the different sexual alignments.