1 "If you cannot serve people, how can you serve ghosts" can be understood in two specific meanings: first, people are more important than ghosts, and knowledge needs to be gained step by step, and cannot be obtained in vain; second, personnel It hasn't been dealt with yet, so don't worry about ghost things.
2 "If you don't know life, how can you know death" means that if you don't know life yet, how can you know death? If you want to know the situation after death, you should know the situation before life.
3 "A gentleman is magnanimous and magnanimous, but a villain is always worried" is a famous saying that people have known since ancient times. Many people often write this as a banner and hang it in their room to motivate themselves. Confucius believed that a gentleman should have a broad mind and be able to tolerate others and accommodate various events, regardless of personal gains and losses. It is impossible to become a gentleman if you are narrow-minded, have difficulties with others and yourself, are often sad, and feel uneasy. A gentleman and a righteous man act openly and aboveboard, while a treacherous villain acts shamefully.
4 Confucius’ famous sayings. The words come from "The Analects of Confucius·Yong Ye": "Confucius said: 'Quality is superior to literature, which leads to wildness; literature is superior to quality, history is the result; literature and quality are gentle, and then a gentleman'." According to the meaning of the word, Wen, literary talent; quality, simple; Binbin, mixed and half appearance. . Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty wrote in Annotations to the Analects of Confucius: "A scholar of eloquence should make up for what he has lost and make up for what he lacks. As for becoming virtuous, it happens unexpectedly." "The Analects of Justice" by Liu Baonan of the Qing Dynasty: "Etiquette has quality and writing. Quality is the foundation. Ritual has no foundation and cannot be established without writing. If it can be established and implemented, this is what it means." Confucius's words "wen" refer to The external manifestation of conforming to propriety; "quality" refers to the inner benevolence. Only by possessing the inner character of "benevolence" and being able to express it in conformity with "propriety" can one become a "gentleman". The relationship between literature and quality is the relationship between propriety and benevolence. One of them embodies the ideal personality of the "gentleman" that Confucius strives to advocate; the other reflects his consistent thought of the golden mean: that is, he does not advocate partiality over literature, nor does he advocate partiality over quality; when he is impartial, he should be impartial. It is not easy to do both, but it is not easy to do it to the extreme. "Confucius said: 'The quality of Yu Xia's writing is as good as the writing of Yin and Zhou Dynasty. The writing of Yu Xia is not as good as its quality; the quality of Yin and Zhou's writing is not as good as its writing. How can it be said that the writing quality is right?" (Book of Rites· "Biaoji")
Originally, it was used to describe people who are both elegant and simple. Later, it was used to describe people who are elegant and polite. It means that people should have such qualities before they can be called gentlemen
Chapter I don’t know about 5
6 was first proposed by Laozi in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Lao Tzu believes that the origin of the world is nothingness, and only nothingness conforms to the principle of Tao. "The sage does things without doing anything, and teaches without saying anything." Governance by inaction is the basic political proposition of Taoism. Inaction means "not putting things first, not taking things after", and following nature is the rule. Inaction is the premise and condition for realizing everything and doing nothing, "taking the world by doing nothing". "Hanshu·Yiwenzhi" says: Taoism's political proposition of inaction is "the art of the king's south face", which expresses the basic spirit of inaction politics. The political ideas of pre-Qin Taoism about governing by doing nothing mainly include "not respecting the virtuous, so that the people will not fight", "not valuing hard-to-find goods, so that the people will not steal", "removing the sage and abandoning wisdom", "removing benevolence and abandoning righteousness", etc. . Zhuangzi even advocated that a monarch should have no desires, no actions, and be calm. "Without desires, the world is contented; with no actions, all things are transformed; with peace, the people are settled." The idea of ??governing by doing nothing had a great influence in ancient China. The Huang-Lao School in the early Han Dynasty absorbed the pre-Qin Taoist idea of ??governing by doing nothing, adapted to the situation of the people after the political turmoil in the late Qin Dynasty, emphasized tranquility and inaction, advocated light corvee and small taxes, and rested with the people, and had a profound influence on the people's political life and Economic life adopts non-interventionism or minimal interventionism in order to stabilize people's hearts and develop social production. Huang Laozhi's thought of governing by doing nothing played a positive role at that time. The rulers in the early Tang Dynasty and the early Song Dynasty both used the idea of ??ruling by inaction to coordinate and deal with the social conflicts at that time, and achieved some results. Metaphysicians of the Wei and Jin Dynasties promoted rule by inaction, leading people to be passive, reclusive, talkative, and inactive, which had a negative impact on society.
Laozi’s thought of inaction Laozi’s philosophy is not a knowledge system in the Western sense, but a kind of wisdom of life and a pursuit of “Tao”. Laozi's "Tao" theory is the metaphysical grasp of all things in the universe. Its purpose is not in the mysterious and empty world, but in the practice of life.
For individual life, it provides a foundation for settling down; for a country, it is a kind of wisdom that achieves good governance. Although Laozi's thoughts are famous for being "mysterious and mysterious", the sentiment behind them is worthy of repeated appreciation. Laozi's philosophy is a great wisdom that has profound enlightenment significance for all human affairs, including management. Among them, the idea of ??governing by doing nothing is the most influential. "Wuwei" means "Tao follows nature" according to Laozi, which is the so-called "man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows Tao, and Tao follows nature." "Inaction is nature" is the basic point of Laozi's philosophy. Lao Tzu regards "Tao" as the foundation of the universe, and the nature of Tao is to "always do nothing but do everything", that is, "Tao" for all things in the universe "serves them without hesitation, achieves success without realizing it, and provides clothing and nourishment for all things." Not the Lord”. To the extent that Tao generates all things and achieves all things, Tao is "doing nothing"; to the extent that Tao "does nothing" and "does not exist" to all things, Tao is "doing nothing". In essence, this is the organic unity of "doing nothing" and "doing nothing". The creation and existence of all things in heaven and earth are all based on "inaction and everything without action". It is from this thought that Laozi believes that to govern the country and the people, we must oppose "governing by doing" and advocate "governing by doing nothing". In his view, "If you do nothing, then everything will be cured." "The sage will have no failure if he does nothing, and he will have no failure if he does nothing." ". Laozi regards "inaction" as the sage's means of "taking over the world" and "ruling the world".
Laozi opposed both Confucianism’s implementation of “ruling the country with virtue” and “ruling the country with wisdom.” It pointed out: "When the great Tao fails, there is benevolence and righteousness; when wisdom comes out, there is great hypocrisy; when relatives are in disharmony, there are filial sons; when the country is in chaos, there are loyal ministers." He believes that "those who practiced good Taoism in ancient times did not enlighten the people, but they will be fooled." , "The people are difficult to govern because they have more wisdom. Therefore, if you govern the country with wisdom, you will be a traitor to the country; if you do not govern the country with wisdom, you will be a blessing to the country." At the same time, Laozi also opposed the military strategist's "ruling the country with force" and opposed violent war. He believed that "soldiers are an ominous weapon and are not the weapons of a gentleman" and advocated "the use of Dao to assist the master, not the use of soldiers to strengthen the world." Only by promoting governance by inaction can we achieve an ideal society in which "I do nothing and the people become themselves, I like to be quiet and the people are upright, I do nothing and the people become rich, I have no desires and the people are simple".
Do nothing and do everything
The idea of ??"inaction" was proposed by Laozi in the Tao Te Ching. During the Spring and Autumn Period in which Lao Tzu lived, the princes were in chaos, and the rulers were arrogant, greedy, and indulgent, causing the people to live in dire straits. In this situation, Laozi put forward the idea of ??inaction and called on rulers to "rule by inaction." He said:
"If I do nothing, the people will be harmonious. If I like to be quiet, the people will be upright. If I do nothing, the people will be rich. If I have no desires, the people will be simple."
"Good tranquility" is proposed in response to the harassment of the ruler, "inaction" is proposed in response to the ruler's tyranny, and "no desire" is proposed in response to the ruler's greed. Lao Tzu believes that politicians should be able to "rule by doing nothing", manage without interfering, and have a monarch without oppression. By allowing the people to develop and improve themselves, the people will be able to be peaceful and prosperous, and society will naturally be harmonious and stable.
"Inaction" means not doing anything that violates the laws of nature, damages moral norms, violates social laws, and is harmful to all living beings. But the "inaction" here does not mean doing nothing or not doing anything, but it means not acting rashly, not acting randomly, complying with the objective situation, and respecting the laws of nature. Lao Tzu once said, "Do nothing without doing anything", which means: If you don't act rashly, there will be nothing you can't accomplish. Here, "do nothing" is an attitude and method of dealing with life, and "do nothing" refers to the effect of not doing anything rashly. Lao Tzu once said, "If you do nothing, everything will be cured." This means that if you treat social life with a "do nothing" attitude, nothing will be impossible or bad. Therefore, the "inaction" that Lao Tzu talks about does not mean waiting passively and doing nothing, but "doing without doing", "doing without relying on", "doing without fighting", that is, "doing" with the attitude of "doing nothing" , to give full play to people’s subjective initiative.
There are things you should do and things you should not do
What Lao Tzu said about "governing by doing nothing" and "doing nothing without doing anything" does not mean sitting there and doing nothing. It was also done.
In the era when Lao Tzu lived, the people worked at sunrise and rested at sunrise, and were self-sufficient. There was no need for rulers to organize production and exchange, or to use anyone to "do". Everything happened naturally. Once the ruler "acts", he will impose heavy taxes to build luxurious palaces, or he will arrest people to launch a war to annex other countries. In this way, "doing" will cause the people to suffer and social unrest, while "doing nothing" will make the people comfortable and the society peaceful. Therefore, "Wuwei" means not to act rashly and not to act haphazardly. It means that the behavior of rulers must comply with the laws of nature and social development, and establish corresponding laws and systems in accordance with the laws and not change them easily. People should give full play to their intelligence and talents and work hard under such laws and systems.
"Inaction" pursues dedication, and the result of "inaction" is precisely "making a difference" (having dedication).
Success without fighting
Among all things in nature, Lao Tzu praises water the most. He believes that "non-contention" is a quality of the beautiful "water virtue". Lao Tzu once said, "Water is good for all things without any struggle." The "non-contention" here refers to selflessness. Water nourishes and nourishes all things, but it does not strive for anything from all things that benefits itself; second, it refers to having no struggle with the world. Not only does it not compete with the things it nourishes, it does not compete with anything in the world.
"Because it does not fight, no one in the world can fight with it."
"If you stand without fighting, you will have no worries; if you stand without fighting, you will achieve success."
"Conflict without fighting" and governance by inaction (Nanfang Daily)
Liu Xiaoqing
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the nobleman Deng Sui was favored by Emperor He, and Queen Yin was very jealous. But Deng Sui was humble and gentle, and respected the Yin family very much. When Emperor He came to see Emperor He at the same time as Yin, Deng Sui never sat upright; every time Emperor He asked a question, Deng Sui always let Yin speak first and never competed with Yin; whenever he found that his clothes were the same as those of Yin or When they were close, Deng Sui would immediately replace him and never compete with the Yin family for the limelight. Despite this, the Yin family still practiced witchcraft with others in an attempt to kill Deng Sui. In view of the sharp contrast between Yin's tyranny and insidiousness and Deng Sui's humility and tolerance, Emperor He imprisoned Yin and insisted on making her queen even when Deng Sui resigned due to illness. This story is recognized by later historians as a typical example of "dispute without dispute".
The "fight without fighting" here is similar in principle to the leadership method of "governing by doing nothing". The "non-fighting" here is not the real "non-fighting", but "non-fighting" as the means of "fighting"; the "inaction" in "governing by doing nothing" is not the real "inaction", but "inaction" as the means of "fighting". "for" means. The so-called "governing by doing nothing" essentially means treating "doing something without doing something" as the method and art of governance. Jiang Taigong, the founder of the art of war, said that the best politics is to govern by doing nothing. Governance by inaction is the core of Taoist doctrine, which occupies an important position in the history of Chinese political thought. Taoists also regard governance by inaction as the highest state of governance. As for the emperors, generals and ministers of the past dynasties, there is probably no one who does not hope to achieve the greatest political achievements with the least effort. It's just that to achieve governance by doing nothing, it really requires the art of leadership to reach the level of perfection.
How can leaders achieve the state of governing by doing nothing? Judging from historical experience, at least the following five items should be grasped:
1. Rest with the people, be tolerant and generous. Jiang Taigong said that heaven has its own orbit and people have their own routines. If the monarch can abide by the law of self-cultivation and regeneration, the world will naturally be safe and sound. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, followed the Huang-Lao method of governing by inaction. On the surface, he was not diligent in government, but in fact, it was by allowing the people to cultivate themselves and live a healthy life that agriculture, industry and commerce developed rapidly. Feng Menglong of the Ming Dynasty said that there is nothing in the world except for people who disturb themselves. Zhao Pu, the Prime Minister of the early Song Dynasty, whenever he received documents that exposed each other's faults among the scholar-bureaucrats, he would burn them without even looking at them. On the surface, he seemed irresponsible, but in fact, it was by curbing the unhealthy trend of intrigues that he maintained the "stability" at that time. Unity".
2. Follow nature and abide by the way of heaven. Bo Ji, the mother of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty, was just an inconspicuous concubine of Liu Bang. Although she was "favored" by Liu Bang only once and became pregnant with the "dragon seed", she still rarely saw Liu Bang after giving birth to her son.
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The Taoist idea of ??governing by doing nothing can be said to be the political application of their metaphysics and inner sage. There are many places where governing by doing nothing is mentioned in the two books "Laozi" and "Zhuangzi" .
This is because the sage does nothing but teaches without doing anything (Chapter 2 of "Zhezi")
If he does nothing, everything will be cured (Laozi). Chapter 3)
The Tao always means doing nothing; if the princes and kings can guard it, all things will transform themselves ("Laozi" Chapter 37)
Therefore the sage said: 'I do nothing. And the people will transform themselves. '("Laozi" Chapter 57)
Those who are empty, quiet and indifferent, the heaven and the earth are peaceful and moral, so the emperors and saints are empty. , The emptiness is the reality, the reality is the relationship. The emptiness is the quietness, the quietness is the movement, and the movement is the success. The quietness is the inaction, and the inaction is the responsibility. ("Zhuangzi, The Way of Heaven")
The virtue of the emperor is based on heaven and earth, morality is the main thing, and inaction is the norm. (Same as above)
But what exactly is "governing by inaction"?
Lao Tzu puts "non-action" and "non-attachment" together. He said: "Those who do desire it, and those who persist lose it. This is because the sage does nothing so he has no desire, and he has no attachment so he loses nothing." " (Chapter 64 of "Laozi") Wuwei and non-attachment here refer to a state of awareness in which the cultivator is not attached to and does not indulge. The so-called "addiction" and "attachment" refer to It means being addicted to and attached to something that is unreal, that is, not realizing the "Tao". Since everything in the empirical world is ever-changing, if we hold on to any event or object, we will think that it is. It is the truth, and it is impossible to grasp the true meaning of Tao, because the changing world of experience is the operation of Tao, but Tao itself is permanent and unchanging, and what it embodies is "inaction." ”, everything about it is in accordance with nature. Therefore, action and persistence not only fail to enable us to realize and embody the Tao, but also lead us to the opposite direction.
How about politics? What is called "inaction"? Due to the influence of Legalist thought, some people often interpret Taoist political inaction as the "skill" of the monarch. This explanation regards inaction purely as a technique for kings to control their ministers. The king does not show his likes and dislikes, making his subordinates incomprehensible to him, and therefore do not know how to cater to him. In this case, the king is certainly in an advantageous position, although it cannot but be said that this seed is hidden in Taoist thought. However, I think this is not the main meaning of Wuwei in Taoism. If this is the main meaning of Wuwei, it is difficult to make sense of the word "governing by doing nothing". The king can fully control his subordinates. If it only refers to this point, it must emphasize that the king must have absolute power. However, this thesis is naturally in conflict with Taoist laissez-faire. It is not the Legalist method of looking south to the king, so what exactly is it?
The political theory of Wuwei requires those in power to be quiet, not to interfere with the people, and to let the people use their own creativity to govern. Because the government has power, it is often difficult not to use power to interfere in people's lives. This kind of interference prevents people from doing what they like, thus hindering or even damaging people's spontaneity and creativity. The most famous era in Chinese history when "inaction" was used as a method of political governance was in the early Western Han Dynasty; Cao, Chen Ping and Chen Ping were the executors of this policy. Their stories can illustrate what the Taoist ideal of inaction is. What kind of politics?
In the first year of Xiaohui, in addition to the princes and ministers of the country, Shen became the prime minister of Qi. He summoned all the elders and gentlemen and asked why he had assembled the people. There were hundreds of Confucian scholars in Qi, and he said that everyone was different. He heard that there was a man named Huang Lao in Jiaoxi who was good at governing. He asked people to pay him a generous sum of money. After seeing Gai Gong, Gai Gong said that governance should be peaceful and the people should be self-sufficient, so he avoided the main hall and wanted to use Huang Lao's method to govern. Guo'an Ji was named Xianxiang.
Shenziku was named Zhongdafu.
Emperor Hui was surprised that the Prime Minister was not managing the affairs of the country, and thought, "Why do you have so little skin?" He said: "When the daughter returns, she tries her best to calmly ask her father: 'The Emperor Gao has abandoned all his ministers, and the emperor is rich in the Spring and Autumn Period. The king is the Prime Minister of the country, and he drinks every day. "If you have nothing to ask for, why should you worry about the world?" But I have no words to tell my daughter. "After bathing in the cave and returning home, time has passed since I came here to advise you. Shen replied angrily and said, "I am here to serve you, but what is going on in the world is not what you should say." When the emperor came to the court, the emperor asked Shen to say, "Do you want to treat Hu Hu in the cave? It's my envoy to admonish you." On the day when he was exempted from the crown and thanked him: "Your Majesty is observing, who is Shengwu and Emperor Gao?" The previous day: "Lian Nai'an dared to look at the late emperor I" The previous day: "Your Majesty is observing who is Shengwu and Xiao Hexian?" The previous day: "It seems that you are not as good as you." . Shenri: "Your Majesty said it is true." Moreover, Emperor Gao and Xiao He established the world. Since the decrees are clear, your majesty bows his head, attends to his duties, and obeys without failing. Isn't it okay?" Emperor Hui said: "Good, the king is at rest!" ("Hanshu" Vol. Thirty-nine, "The Biography of Cao Shen")
The two stories of Cao Shen illustrate an important point in the politics of inaction. Wuwei does not mean that those who are in politics do nothing all day long; Adopt a non-intervention policy for the people and let the people freely use their abilities. But what exactly do politicians do in inaction politics? What the politicians are actually responsible for is formulating good laws and rules. Laws and rules are what everyone must abide by when doing their work. Cao Shen believes that the laws and policies formulated by Xiao He are already quite perfect, and he has no ability to modify them, so he can be happy with this. It is the famous "Xiao rules and Cao Sui" in history. From this point, it can be seen that the most fundamental essence of Wuwei politics is to give the people as much freedom as possible, and those with power should try not to interfere with the people. Human freedom is unlimited, so the formulation of good laws and rules has become the only job of politicians. The effect of this kind of politics is indeed very similar to the order created by modern Western liberalism; however, inaction. In the end, politics is just a method of governing people, which is completely different from the basic philosophical theory of liberalism based on the concept of human rights. In the theory of inaction politics, the most taboo person is one who is obsessed with everything. A person who knows everything clearly cannot let others develop. Therefore, after Zhou Yafu quelled the chaos of the Seven Kingdoms and became the prime minister, he did not use Zhao Yu, because although "Zhao Yu is the prime minister, everyone in the government calls him." "Integrity and Ping", "However, Yafu is not responsible for his duties, and he knows that he is harmless, but his writing is profound and he cannot live in a big mansion" (Volume 19 of "Book of Han", (Biography of Zhao Yu)). When Zhou Yafu was a general and stationed troops in Xiliu, he was The military was famous for its strict discipline, and even Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty had to get out of the car according to military orders when inspecting the camp; but after becoming the prime minister, he did not need a strict observer like Zhao Yu. This shows that Zhou Yafu understood that the army and the army are two different things. Different orders, the former is the imperative order mentioned above, and the latter is a spontaneous order, if the rules used in the former are applied to the latter, the consequences will be bad.
Secondly, the politics of inaction is a politics of hierarchical responsibility, where everyone does their own thing; therefore, the most taboo thing about it is the Zhuge Liang-style concept of hierarchical responsibility in Chinese history. The story of Chen Ping and Bing Ji is one of the most interesting. They went to the court to ask Prime Minister Bo, saying: "How many prisons are there in one year in the world?" Bo Xie asked. : "How much money does the money drum in the world make in one year?" "Bo thanked him again but he didn't know. He was sweating all over his back, and felt ashamed that he couldn't do it right. He also asked Prime Minister Zuo Ping. Ping said: "(Each one) has his own master. "Shang said: "Who is the master?" Ping said: "Your Majesty immediately asked the prison officer, Guiting Wei; asked Qian Hu, who was in charge of Su Neishi. "Shang said: "Each one has his own master, and what does the king's master do?" Ping Xie said: "My Lord! Your Majesty does not know that his subordinates have committed crimes against the Prime Minister. The prime minister is responsible for assisting the emperor in regulating yin and yang, following the four seasons, and adjusting all things accordingly. Externally, he supports the foreign princes, and internally, he is close to the people, so that the ministers and officials can fulfill their duties. "The superior said he was good. He was so ashamed that he came out and gave way to ordinary people: "You are the only one who doesn't teach me! Ping smiled and said: "You are in your position, but you don't know what kind of evil you are doing? And your Majesty asked about the number of thieves in Chang'an, and you want to fight against evil in the border area?" So the final prince knew that he was not as good as Pingyuan. Living in a short distance, Bo Xie ( Ill) was exempted from the prime ministership, and Ping Zhuan was the prime minister.
"("Book of Han" Volume 40, "Chen Ping Biography")
What Chen Ping pointed out in this dialogue is another important point of the politics of inaction, that there is a responsible person for every matter. Judgment is Tingwei is in charge, and the money hub is in charge of the internal history; while the prime minister is in charge of the emperor Sasuke's management of yin and yang, and the four seasons; the emperor himself really only needs to do the right thing. This is not the case with promising politics, the greater the power. In addition to what they should do, they also have to do what their subordinates should do. In this way, the order is destroyed. Wuwei does not mean that the politicians do nothing, but that everyone should do it. Being able to give full play to their abilities to do their own duties can not only be used by the people, allowing them to give full play to themselves, but also used by those in power, making a bureaucracy itself a spontaneous one. Order. The politics of inaction is actually a politics with multiple decision centers. Therefore, Zhuangzi said: "Being quiet means doing nothing, and doing nothing means doing things." ("Zhuangzi·Tiandao")
Having discussed the meaning of "inaction", the next question is, in the theory of "governing by doing nothing", what can be regarded as the state of "governing"? What kind of political order does this theory want to establish? We can start from Let’s look at this Taoist political thought from both the theoretical and practical aspects. Let’s look at the theoretical aspect first:
It is based on the fact that saints do things without doing anything and teach everything without saying anything. If you do something but don't rely on it, you won't be able to live in it if you succeed. ("Laozi" Chapter 2)
The Tao is always done without doing anything; if the princes can guard it, all things will transform themselves ("Laozi" 37). Chapter)
Therefore the sage said: "I do nothing, and the people become themselves; I like to be quiet, and the people are upright; I do nothing, and the people become rich; I have no desires, and the people are simple." " (Chapter 57 of "Laozi")
Zhuangzi also has the following description of governance by doing nothing:
Yangzi lived in Cuiran day: "I dare to ask the king of Ming about governance. . "Lao Dan said: "The rule of the Ming Dynasty is so great that it covers the whole world but does not seem to have its own merits. It lends money to all things and the people cannot rely on it. If there is something, it is not named to make things happy. It is unpredictable and wanders in nothingness." "("Zhuangzi. Chapter of Yingdiwang")
It is said that one should forgive the world, but one cannot rule the world. Those who do it are afraid of the world's sexual abuse; those who forgive it are afraid of the world's sexual abuse. If you don't transfer your virtues, you can rule the world! In the past, when Yao ruled the world, he made the world happy and made people happy with his nature, which was unsatisfactory. It is not a virtue for a man to be tired and unhappy in his nature, and it is not a virtue to be able to live long.
There is no such thing in the world as being happy and evil. ; The evil of great wrath is adjacent to Yin. Yin and Yang are adjacent to each other, and the four seasons do not come, and the harmony of cold and heat cannot be achieved. It will harm people's appearance! It will cause people to lose their joy and anger, live in an unstable place, be unsatisfied with their thoughts, and fail to achieve the right path. , then the world began to fight against the birds of prey, and then there were robbers and robbers. Therefore, it was not enough to reward those who were good, and it was not enough to punish those who were evil. Therefore, the world was not big enough to reward and punish people from the third generation onwards. However, how could he care about rewards and punishments at all times? ("Zhuangzi Zaiyou Chapter")
From these quotations, we can see that doing nothing will cure this problem. What kind of state is the so-called governance in the theory? In Chapter 57 of "Laozi", "self-transformation", "self-righteousness", "self-enrichment", "self-simplicity", and Zhuangzi's "transformation and borrowing of all things". But the people can't rely on them." "Since the third generation or below, how can the Xiong Xiong give rewards and punishments? How can they rest in peace with their lives? "All show the realm of governance in Taoist minds. Self-transformation, self-rectification, self-enrichment and self-simplicity are all worlds in which individuals can give full play to their talents. Since political leaders do nothing and do not interfere, the people can Self-improvement, self-rectification, self-enrichment and self-simplicity are not achieved by the orders of the rulers, but by the people themselves through their own knowledge and application of the objective environment. Therefore, Lao, Zhuangdu repeatedly emphasized that "Be born without having something, do without relying on it." The last sentence of "Zhuangzi Zaiyou Chapter" quoted above clearly shows that the so-called governance of Taoism is to enable people to develop according to their nature. The consequences of intervention are the destruction of this possibility. This idea is very consistent with Mill's idea in "On Liberty".
Mill believes that freedom is an indispensable condition for discovering truth and self-development. Various human achievements in culture must rely on freedom to fully develop. It is this kind of people that Lao and Zhuang's self-reflection refers to. the full development of creativity. In the theory of inaction politics, "doing nothing without doing anything" is a very important concept. Only by doing nothing at the top can the effect of doing nothing can be achieved. Therefore, the ultimate goal of inaction politics is to do everything. Doing nothing is "giving birth to all things".
As for the inaction politics in the early Han Dynasty, the history books have this record:
When Xiao Hui, Empress Lu, the people were newly free of poisonous wormwood, and people wanted to take care of the young, and Xiao Cao was the most powerful. , filled with inaction, following the desires of the people without disturbing them, nourishing them with food and clothing, and sparing them with punishments. When Xiaowen came to the throne, he worked diligently and silently to encourage farmers and mulberry trees to reduce rents and taxes. (Book of Han, Volume 12, "Criminal Law Table")
The most important scope of application of inaction politics in the early Han Dynasty was in economic policy. Inaction economic policy was the modern laissez-faire policy. The effect of implementing this policy made the situation of extreme poverty in the early Han Dynasty turn into very rich. In the early years of the Han Dynasty, due to years of war and the Qin Dynasty's extortionate expropriations, the people and politics were in dire straits.
The Han Dynasty prospered and succeeded the Qin Dynasty. The princes came together, the people lost their jobs, and there was a great famine. People with a few meters and five thousand stones could eat each other, and more than half of them died. ...The world has been established, and the support of the people has been reduced. Since the emperor cannot have a fine horse, the generals or prime ministers may ride in ox-carts. ("Hanshu Shihuo Zhi" (Part 1))
Even the emperor could not have horses of the same color to pull his carts, which shows how poor the society was.
In this situation of extreme poverty, several emperors in the early Han Dynasty implemented a non-intervention policy of light corvee and low taxation, reducing taxes as much as possible so that the people could use their own strength to engage in production work. What are the results of implementing this policy? Sima Qian gave this description in the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty:
In the past seventy years since he ascended the throne, during the more than seventy years since the rise of the Han Dynasty, the country has suffered from floods and droughts. The people are well-fed and their families are full, but the government treasury is full of goods and wealth. The money of the capital is accumulated to tens of thousands, which is rotten and cannot be shuttled. As the millet in Taicang grows old, it becomes full of dew and accumulates outside, until it becomes rotten and inedible. ...Those who guard the time of death eat the flesh of the beam, ... Therefore, everyone loves himself and breaks the law again. He should first do righteousness and then pay attention to shame.
This is the result of the implementation of inaction politics. This golden age is unusual in Chinese history.