What is the Way of Humanity in Taoism? 什么是人道
Paul PengWhat is the Way of Humanity in Taoism?
It stands in contrast to the Way of Heaven.
“The Way of Humanity” has two meanings:
① It refers to the norms of society and human conduct.
Book of Rites · Brief Records of Mourning Attire states:
“To love kin, to honor the worthy, to respect the elderly, and to distinguish between male and female—these are the great principles of the Way of Humanity.”
The Way of Humanity is thus the ethical order of human relationships, a key part of Confucian philosophy.
What is the Way of Humanity in Taoism?② It refers to human affairs, in contrast to “the Way of Heaven”, belonging to the category of the “debate between Heaven and humanity”, a consistent theme running through traditional Chinese philosophy.
The ancient view of the Way of Heaven emphasized the absolute authority of “Heaven”, placing humanity in a position of complete submission.
During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the conception of Heaven as a personal deity was criticized, a trend emphasizing the Way of Humanity and human affairs arose, and the “debate between Heaven and humanity” in traditional philosophy unfolded.
Zichan of Zheng put forward the idea that “the Way of Heaven is distant, the Way of Humanity is near”:
the principles of nature are profound, while the principles of human affairs are close at hand; celestial phenomena and human events are unrelated, and human affairs cannot be inferred from heavenly signs.
This was the germination of the thought of “clarifying the division between Heaven and humanity”.
The Daoist school distinguished between the Way of Heaven and the Way of Humanity, advocating that “the Way of Heaven is natural and non‑action”, a core idea rooted in Dao De Jing.
Xunzi insisted on the division between Heaven and humanity, stressed human affairs over the Mandate of Heaven, and vigorously promoted “control the Mandate of Heaven and use it”, giving full play to human subjective initiative.
This rational spirit laid the foundation for later Taoist thought that emphasizes humanity’s active role, which deeply shaped the understanding of Yin and Yang and cosmic order in Taoism.
