What does laozi philosophy of non - action talk about?

"Wu Wei" governance, originating from the Tao Te Ching, is a Daoist approach to ruling. The core concept of the Tao Te Ching is the "Dao," which is non-action, yet follows inherent laws that govern the universe. These laws constrain all things in the universe, and all things follow these laws. Extended to governance, "Wu Wei" means governing through systems (which can be understood as the laws within the "Dao"), using systems to constrain the behavior of subjects, who all abide by legal systems.

"Wu Wei" does not mean doing nothing; rather, it means not intervening excessively and fully leveraging the creativity of the people to achieve self-fulfillment and move towards greatness and brilliance. "Wu Wei" is not inaction, but rather not acting recklessly. Because it does not violate objective laws and acts in accordance with them, it can achieve anything as long as it follows the Dao and objective laws.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with constant warfare among the Five Hegemons and Seven Warring States, society was in turmoil. Faced with this unstable social situation, thinkers proposed various strategies for governing the country and ensuring the well-being of the people: the School of Names advocated ritual governance, while Confucianism promoted ruling through virtue. Only Laozi from the Daoist school proposed the idea of "Wu Wei" governance. As a ruling technique for the ruling class, "Wu Wei" has had a profound impact on China's feudal society.

The original intention of "Wu Wei" governance is not to do nothing, but rather to avoid excessive intervention and fully leverage the initiative of the people, making it suitable for rulers. The core of Confucian thought is moral norms, which advocate not acting recklessly and are suitable for everyone. There are both similarities and differences between the two, a point that deserves attention.

Studying "Wu Wei" governance from the perspective of state governance also has practical significance. So-called "Wu Wei" governance means achieving good governance through non-action. What is "Wu Wei"? Literally, "Wu Wei" seems to mean inaction or passivity, but this is a superficial understanding. Laozi's "Wu Wei" by no means implies doing nothing. He said, "Great difficulties in the world must begin with what is easy; great affairs in the world must begin with details," and "Act before it exists; govern before it becomes chaotic." The terms "must act" and "govern" here both imply action. "Wu Wei" is by no means inaction, but rather achieving action through non-action.

The core concept of the Tao Te Ching is the "Dao," which is non-action, yet follows inherent laws that govern the universe. These laws constrain all things in the universe, and all things follow these laws.

Laozi believed, "When I take no action, the people transform themselves; when I love tranquility, the people correct themselves; when I interfere not, the people enrich themselves; when I have no desires, the people return to simplicity," and he emphasized "Non-action leaves nothing undone."

"The Dao dissipates into qi, and qi condenses into form as the 'Supreme Lord Laojun.'" — Xiang'er Commentary on Laozi

Extended to governance, "Wu Wei" means governing through systems (which can be understood as the laws within the "Dao"), using systems to constrain the behavior of subjects, who all abide by legal systems. Laozi's "Wu Wei" governance means ruling by law ("law" is equivalent to the "Dao"), not by personal rule; excessive human intervention disrupts social order, while governance by law ensures orderliness. For the personal conduct of emperors, "Wu Wei" means maintaining a clear mind, being perceptive, and knowing how to delegate, placing the right talents in the right positions, and delegating specific tasks to ministers, without involving oneself in every detail.

"Wu Wei" is a Daoist strategy for governing the country, making it the primary application of this concept. To implement "Wu Wei," government officials at all levels should rely on the self-action and self-governance of the people, providing necessary services while knowing when to act and when to refrain. Trust and reliance on subordinates are essential, allowing them to complete tasks while focusing on identifying and utilizing talent.

In business management, "Wu Wei" requires managers to step back from trivial matters and focus on strategic development and talent management. Specific tasks such as research and development, technology, production, and sales should be left to employees. Senior managers should practice the method of "the ruler does nothing while the ministers act," achieving the management goal of "when the ruler is at ease and the ministers work hard, the nation prospers; when the ruler is busy and the ministers are idle, the nation declines."

In education, "Wu Wei" calls for teachers and parents to respect children's nature, trust in their abilities and potential (i.e., the self-transformation capability of Daoism), and allow them to experiment, learn, explore, and discover independently. Even if they fail or make mistakes, they will learn from these experiences. The role of teachers and parents is to create necessary conditions and provide appropriate support.

In ancient times, Shun, known for his noble character, was appointed by Yao to manage the world. At that time, floods ravaged the Central Plains. Yao had previously sent Gun to control the floods, but after nine years, he failed. Shun then appointed Yu, Gun's son, to manage the waters. Yu lived up to expectations and subdued the floods after thirteen years.

Like Yao, Shun was kind to the common people, often employing symbolic punishments: those who committed crimes punishable by nose amputation were instead required to wear clothes of a specific color, and those who deserved decapitation were allowed to wear collarless garments. To teach the people music and dance, Shun sent Kui to spread music throughout the regions. When some worried that Kui alone could not handle the task, Shun replied, "The essence of music lies in harmony. A single person like Kui, who is proficient in musical laws, is sufficient." Kui indeed accomplished his mission brilliantly.

Confucius praised this approach, saying, "He who governs through non-action is Shun! What he needs to do is simply to maintain a serene demeanor." ("He who governs through non-action is Shun, is he not? What does he do? He simply composes himself and faces south.") Analects of Confucius - Wei Linggong.

In the first month of the twenty-fifth year of the Kaiyuan reign, Emperor Xuanzong established "doctorates in mystery studies" within the court, holding annual examinations akin to the Mingjing section of the imperial exams. He promoted Daoist teachings, with the Tao Te Ching of Laozi as the paramount text. Emperor Xuanzong included the Tao Te Ching in the imperial exams and provided commentaries to propagate it, a pragmatic move to enhance governance. He stated that the purpose of annotating the Tao Te Ching was "to take truth as the foundation, not to exalt the doctrine; the essentials of governing the country, can it be otherwise?" Avoiding metaphysical discussions and religious terminology, he focused on practical theories of governance and self-cultivation.

During the Tang dynasty, the principle of "employing Huang-Lao internally and Confucianism externally" became the bedrock of state politics. Thus, while the Tang dynasty highly esteemed Daoism, it also vigorously advocated the Daoist art of governance through non-action, emphasizing virtue-based rule. By lightening corvée duties and taxes and governing with a hands-off approach, the early Tang achieved great governance, with even border regions submitting, ushering in the peaceful and prosperous "Zhenguan Era." Emperor Taizong Li Shimin often said, "Water can carry a boat, yet it can also capsize it," stressing the need to lighten corvée duties and taxes. In the Essential Records of the Zhenguan Era, Taizong shared his profound experience in governance: "The peace and stability of the people and the nation depend solely on the ruler. When the ruler practices non-action, the people are joyful; when the ruler has many desires, the people suffer." Taizong also stated in an edict, "The great stability of the realm is also due to the merit of non-action. It is appropriate to make changes and expand this mysterious transformation." When each official fulfills his role, then governance through non-action is achieved." Taizong even concerned himself with the marital affairs of the common people. According to the New Book of Tang - Annals of Taizong, in the first year of the Zhenguan era, "An order was issued that male commoners over twenty and female commoners over fifteen without spouses were to be married by local governments with proper rites; for those unable to marry due to poverty, the wealthy and relatives in the countryside were to jointly fund the arrangements." Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji also vigorously promoted Daoist thought, writing in his own commentaries on the Tao Te Ching, "Follow the timing of heaven, the nature of earth, and the hearts of people. Thus, ministers gather like spokes of a wheel, the virtuous and the less virtuous each fulfill their roles, the ruler knows how to control his ministers, and ministers know how to serve their ruler—this is the way to govern the country through non-action."

Since the inception of the Tao Te Ching, the concept of "governance through non-action" has been continuously practiced. Here are some representative viewpoints:

1. Rely on the self-action and self-governance of the people. This is evidenced by Laozi's sayings, "When I take no action, the people transform themselves; when I love tranquility, the people correct themselves; when I interfere not, the people enrich themselves; when I have no desires, the people return to simplicity," and the Daoist classic Lüshi Chunqiu's assertions, "Without intelligence, one can harness the wisdom of all. Without action, one can harness the actions of all."

2. Avoid arbitrary intervention and misguided direction. Laozi posited, "Humans follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature," and "If lords and kings can adhere to this, all things will submit of their own accord." He advised rulers not to issue arbitrary or misguided directives but to follow the objective laws of development and abide by legal and regulatory frameworks. Zhuangzi further contended that the Great Dao is intricate and ever-changing, making it difficult to fully comprehend; thus, refraining from arbitrary intervention is the optimal method of governance. The Huang-Lao Silk Manuscripts include a dialogue where Gao Yang asks Li Hei, "Now that heaven and earth are formed and the common people have come into being, no one follows heavenly virtue, and schemes to overthrow and subvert are rife. I am deeply concerned about this. What should be done?" Li Hei responds, "Do not worry, do not fret; it is heaven's way and thus solidified." This demonstrates that the Huang-Lao school also advocated respecting natural and objective laws, avoiding arbitrary intervention, and letting things take their natural course.

3. Act without action. This is Laozi's own assertion. Based on his teachings, "In learning, one increases daily; in the Dao, one decreases daily," "Assist the natural development of all things without daring to act," and "Decrease and decrease until there is nothing left to decrease," those who follow the Dao eventually reach a point where there is nothing left to decrease. Naturally, they attain Laozi's highest state: "If you do not contend, then the whole world will not contend with you." This is the state of water, which is also the subtle and implicit governance through non-action.

4. The ruler practices non-action while the ministers act. This is a shared perspective of both Daoism and Legalism, reflecting a certain degree of decentralized thought. This can be substantiated by Laozi's statement, "The highest virtue is non-action, yet nothing is left undone; the lower virtue is action, yet something is left undone," Zhuangzi's assertion, "The ruler must practice non-action to govern the world, and the ministers must act to serve the world," and the Huang-Lao and Legalist schools' advocacy for "the ruler's way is non-action, the minister's way is action."

5. Act where action is needed and refrain where refraining is wise. For instance, the Wei-Jin scholar Guo Xiang, in his commentary on Zhuangzi, proposed, "The woodcutter acts with his axe but does not act upon the wood; the boatman acts with his oar but does not act upon the water; the ruler acts through his ministers but does not act upon specific tasks."

6. Govern by law. This is a common stance of both the Huang-Lao and Legalist schools. For example, the representative figure of the Huang-Lao school, Shen Dao, stated, "Officials show no favoritism, the law leaves no room for affection, superiors and subordinates have no concerns—only the law prevails." The Huang-Lao silk manuscripts also declare, "The Dao gives birth to law. Law is the standard that measures gains and losses, clarifies right and wrong. Therefore, those who hold the Dao establish laws and dare not transgress them; once laws are established, they dare not abolish them. Thus, by adhering to the standard, one can then discern the truths of the world without confusion."

7. Non-violation. The belief that "non-action" is equivalent to "non-violation," meaning that "governance through non-action" achieves societal harmony without contravening objective laws and natural inclinations.

8. Daoism posits that all things in heaven and earth are engendered by the Dao, whose fundamental law is spontaneity. Thus, humans should emulate the Dao and follow nature. Laozi advocates, "Humans follow earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows the Dao, and the Dao follows nature." The Huang-Lao school also upholds, "Take emptiness and nothingness as the foundation, and follow the natural course as the application." To follow the natural course means to respect the inherent nature of all things, allowing them to develop freely according to their own inevitability, maintaining a state in accordance with the Dao, without arbitrary interference or influencing the natural progression of events. Only in this way can things exist normally and develop healthily. Therefore, in Daoist thought, both conduct and self-cultivation should be based on natural non-action, avoiding reckless intervention. Yan Junping states, "Action with intention leads to failure and futility; action without intention achieves endless success... Observing the changes of heaven and earth, and the natural state of all things, one sees that action is the root of disorder, while non-action is the essence of governance." (The Return to the Dao: Volume Eight). If one interferes with the natural development of things, attempting to alter or change their state according to subjective desires, the result will be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow—bringing about one's own defeat. Thus, the wise should adopt the way of non-action to nurture life and govern the world, and only in this way can the desired goals be achieved.

In summary, the Daoist principle of governance through non-action is a strategy and means, with the ultimate goal of achieving action through non-action.