Laozi believes that the origin of the world is nothingness, and only nothingness conforms to the principle of Tao. "The sage does nothing and teaches without words." 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 prerequisite and condition for realizing the goal of doing everything and treating everything, "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 thought 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 low 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 system of knowledge 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 and establishing a life; 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. "Inaction" in Laozi means "Tao follows nature", that is, "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 "doing nothing but doing nothing". 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, Lao Tzu 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.
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“Good tranquility” is proposed in response to the ruler’s harassment, “inaction” is proposed in response to the ruler’s tyranny, and “no desire” is proposed in response to the ruler’s greed. Laozi believes that politicians should be able to "govern by doing nothing", manage without interfering, and have a monarch without oppression. If the people can develop and improve themselves, the people will be peaceful and prosperous, and the society will naturally be harmonious and stable. p>
"Inaction" means not doing anything that violates the laws of nature, violates moral norms, violates social laws, and is harmful to all living beings. But the "inaction" here does not mean doing nothing, but not doing nothing. It means not to act rashly, not to act recklessly, to comply with the objective situation, and to respect the laws of nature. Laozi said, "Do nothing without doing anything", which means: If you don't act rashly, there will be nothing you can't do. Here, "Inaction" means nothing. An attitude and method of dealing with life. "Doing nothing" refers to the effect of not doing anything rashly. Laozi once said, "Do nothing, and everything will be cured." It means to treat social life with an attitude of "doing nothing". Nothing is impossible or impossible. Therefore, the "inaction" that Laozi talks about does not mean waiting passively and doing nothing, but "doing without doing", "doing without relying on it", and "doing without fighting". , that is, to "do" with an attitude of "doing nothing" to give full play to people's subjective initiative.
Do something and do nothing
"Government by doing nothing" and "governing by doing nothing". "Do nothing but do everything" does not mean that everything is done just by sitting there and doing nothing. In the era when Laozi lived, people worked at sunrise and rested at sundown. They were self-sufficient and did not need a ruler to organize them. Production and exchange depend on who "does it", and everything proceeds naturally. Once the ruler "does it", he or she will impose heavy taxes to build luxurious palaces, or to launch a war to annex other countries. Catching Ding. If you "do" like this, the people will suffer and the society will be in turmoil. If you "do nothing", the people will be at ease and the society will be peaceful. Therefore, "inaction" means not to act rashly and not to act randomly. It means that the ruler's behavior should conform to nature and social development. According to the laws and regulations, the corresponding laws and systems should be established and not easily changed. Under such laws and systems, people can give full play to their talents and work hard.
What "inaction" pursues is. Dedication, the result of "doing nothing", also becomes "making a difference" (dedication)
Success without striving
Among all things in nature, Laozi only praises water the most. . He believes that "non-struggle" is a quality of good "water virtue". Laozi once said, "Water is good for all things and does not fight for it." "The word "non-competition" here refers to selflessness, as water nourishes all things, but does not seek anything from all things that benefits itself; second, it refers to being non-competitive with the world, not only with the things that are nourished by itself. It doesn’t fight, it doesn’t fight against anything in the world.
“Because it doesn’t 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's family Very jealous. However, Deng Sui was humble and gentle, and respected the Yin family very much. When he came to see Emperor He at the same time as the Yin family, Deng Sui never sat upright. Whenever He asked a question, Deng Sui always let the Yin family speak first. He did not steal the limelight from the Yin family; whenever he found that his clothes were the same as or similar to those of the Yin family, Deng Sui immediately changed them and never competed with the Yin family for the limelight. Despite this, the Yin family still practiced witchcraft with others. , trying to put Deng Sui to death. 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 the queen when Deng Sui resigned due to illness. The story is recognized by later generations of historians as a typical example of "fighting without fighting".
The "fighting without fighting" here is similar in principle to "governing by doing nothing" as a leadership method. "Do not fight" is not the real "non-fight", but uses "non-fight" as a means of "fighting"; the "inaction" in "governing by doing nothing" is not the real "inaction", but uses "inaction" as "doing". " means. The so-called "governing by doing nothing" essentially means taking "doing nothing" as a method and art of governance. Jiang Taigong, the founder of the art of war, said that the most brilliant politics is to govern by doing nothing. Governing by doing nothing is Taoism, which occupies an important position in the history of Chinese political thought, is the core of Taoism. Taoism also regards governing by doing nothing as the highest state of governance. As for the emperors 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 doing nothing. 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, would burn the documents without even looking at them whenever he received documents that exposed each other's faults among the scholar-bureaucrats. 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. Later, Bo Ji not only saved her mother and son from being imprisoned by Empress Lu because she was not favored by Liu Bang, but she also became the empress dowager because her son was lucky enough to ascend the throne. This shows that it may not be a good thing to sharpen one's head and work hard even if it is a temporary gain, and it may not be a bad thing to go with nature even if it is a temporary failure.
3． Be pure of heart and have few desires, and be indifferent to fame and wealth. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, Fu Zhao experienced the Song, Qi and Liang dynasties in his life, serving as state and county officials, local governors and court officials. At that time, dynasties were changing rapidly, the officialdom was chaotic, and crises were everywhere. The reason why Fu Zhao suffered no setbacks and was able to maintain his status and reputation was because he was pure and indifferent to fame and fortune. According to historical records, he lived in the imperial court and asked no one to visit him; he stayed at home and had no disciples, no party members, and no personal interests. These are undoubtedly important reasons for his good death and his reputation for future generations.
4. Use righteousness to avoid evil, and be cautious in your words and deeds. In the late Western Han Dynasty, politics was very corrupt and the imperial court was declining. At that time, Emperor Ai favored Dong Xian, the Marquis of Gao'an, and adopted his sister as his concubine. Fu Yan, the father of Empress Fu, was afraid that one day there would be a coup that would lead to disaster. His friend Huan Tan said: No matter how severe the punishment is, it cannot be imposed on an innocent person; no matter how evil is prevalent, it cannot be imposed on a loyal and upright person without reason. Huan Tan told him that at this moment, the most important thing was to tell the queen not to use witch doctor skills and other means to compete with Concubine Dong for favor; secondly, he should dismiss his disciples and be modest to prevent others from taking advantage of him. The power is out there and they are doing whatever they want. Otherwise, if the emperor gets the handle, the consequences will be disastrous. Fu Yan followed the instructions. Later, under the instructions of the emperor, Dong Xian tried every means, including arresting Empress Fu's brother for interrogation, but he still could not find an excuse to frame the Fu family.
5. Clear up doubts to protect yourself, retreat bravely from the rapids. As the saying goes, being with a king is like being with a tiger. How to eliminate the emperor's suspicion has always been the key to the ups and downs of the officialdom. During the conflict between Chu and Han, Liu Bang, the king of Han, who led the army to the east, sent people to express condolences to the prime minister Xiao He who was staying in Guanzhong. In order to dispel the suspicion of the King of Han, Xiao He selected young and strong men among his relatives and asked them to escort grain and grass to Xingyang to join the army. In this way, Xiao He gained Liu Bang's trust. Historically, retirement after success has also been a rule in officialdom. Laozi, the founder of Taoism, believed that retreating after one's achievements is the way of heaven and earth. There are many heroes who have made great achievements in war, such as Li Guang, the "Flying General" during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Li Jing, the Duke of the Tang Dynasty, etc., but they did not die well because of their dissatisfaction and greed for fame.
The historical background of Taoism is the wars and disputes in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. In this chaotic era, the social, moral, and political order established by Zhou Wen is facing collapse. The Zhou Wen used to maintain this order became a mere formality. Confucianism wants to use benevolence and righteousness to enrich this external frame, while Laozi and Zhuangzi believe that things like Wen, etiquette, benevolence, and righteousness are all external forms. Even if they can achieve social order, this order is not an ideal order. In this unideal order, people are restrained and cannot obtain true freedom and liberation.
Like Confucian philosophy, Taoist philosophy is basically a study of inner sage and virtue. Its ultimate concern is personal cultivation and becoming a virtuous person [6]. However, cultivation and virtue cannot be accomplished apart from society, and if society does not have democracy, its existence will be in danger. Taoists are not political anarchists. They put forward a set of ideas about what an ideal political order is. This set of ideas is the theory of "governing by doing nothing".
This theory has an inseparable relationship with Taoist inner sage and metaphysical theories. The most important purpose of Taoist inner sage and metaphysical theories is to teach people to follow nature and act according to one's will, rather than being deliberate. The five types of people listed in Zhuangzi's "Deliberate Chapter": the people of the valley, the people of ordinary times, the people of the court, the people of the rivers and seas, and the people of Daoyin, are all people who are deliberate and not in compliance with nature. These people violate nature and therefore are not enlightened people. Zhuangzi believes that only a humble sage can achieve "loftiness without deliberate intention, cultivation without benevolence and righteousness, rule without fame and fame, idleness without rivers and seas, longevity without Taoism, forget everything, and have everything". Only such people can follow nature and gain self-liberation. The reason why heaven and earth are so big is that they can conform to nature and thus achieve all things. Therefore, Laozi said: "Being born without being, doing without relying on it, growing without being slaughtered, this is Xuande." ("Laozi" Chapter 10) He also said: "The Tao follows nature."
The Taoist idea of ??governing by doing nothing can be said to be the political application of their metaphysics and inner sage. The two books "Laozi" and "Zhuangzi" talk about governance by doing nothing.