"The Way that can be spoken of is not the constant Way."
- Laozi
The ‘way’ or the
Dao is the most important central concept in Daoism but is inexplicable in
words. The Dao is nonetheless inescapable, pervading, and shaping all things. Unlike
the Confucian Dao, which is specifically moral and human centered, the Daoist
Dao was beyond petty, artificial human considerations. In the vastness of nature,
humans and human concerns are inconsequential; therefore, Daoists were the
first to develop a fine appreciation for the natural beauty of the untamed
wildness.
Daoism also
believes that human morality because not only is it artificial but also
counter-productive. “When everyone in the world knows beauty as beauty,
ugliness appears. When everyone knows good as good, not-good arrives.” (Laozi).
Therefore, wisdom lies in not pursuing such “goods”.
The course of
non-action is often described by Daoists as the best course of action. Similar to
the French concept of laissez-faire. Both encourage minimal government
intervention but are applied to different aspects. The concept of laissez-faire
only extends to the economy while the Daoist perspective embodies everything. There
should be a minimalist approach to leadership because of the belief that active
intervention would only make things worse.
The focus of Daoism
is the individual in nature rather than the individual in society. It holds
that the goal of life for each individual is to find one’s own personal
adjustment to the rhythm of the natural (and supernatural) world and to follow
the Way (dao) of the universe. In many ways the opposite of rigid Confucian
moralism, Daoism served many of its adherents as a complement to their ordered
daily lives.
