Taoist Governance

Taoism (or Daoism) refers to a philosophical and religious tradition that has played a prominent role in the history of East Asia. Core Taoist texts present the vision of a universe that is ruled by the principle of the “Tao” or “Way.” The Tao may be characterized as moral principle, as “Nature,” or as limitless, metaphysical reality. Because many Taoist teachings reject social and political institutions as interfering with the natural development of human character, some scholars have concluded that Taoist governance, if it exists at all, is anarchic. However, most Taoist texts do make explicit reference to governance, arguing that the role of the ruler is not to direct people's actions or to strengthen the state but rather to facilitate the emergence of the Tao in every member of society.

The primary principle of Taoist governance is that of wu-wei, or “nonaction.” The Taoist worldview posits a universe in which all things resonate to a cosmic principle, or Tao, and suggests that human potential is best realized when allowed to follow natural patterns of behavior. In political Taoism, the ruler is seen as a reflection of this cosmic principle, which has become obscured over time by overarticulated social norms. To practice “nonaction” means to give up attempts to direct the moral development of others through the assertion of political control. Although leadership through nonaction may sound paradoxical, it rests on the notion that rulers with a true understanding of their own cosmic nature will gain such great moral authority that their subjects will recognize this virtue and, modeling themselves on it, act in the best interests of themselves and their society with no direct action on the part of the ruler.

This political vision was originally articulated as a response to the structured, hierarchical relationships advocated by Confucian governance and other Chinese schools of thought: Where Confucianism sets up a potentially authoritarian relationship between ruler and ruled and suggests that institutions are the foundation of a moral society, Taoist governance neither advocates hierarchies nor makes recommendations about ideal institutional forms. Indeed, Taoist texts argue that it is the institutionalization of sociopolitical norms that leads to the distortion of human nature and the development of conflict.

Since the 1980s, Taoist principles of nonaction and naturalism have been increasingly employed in Western writings on management, government, self-help, personal relationships, and many other areas. Such writings argue for a “looser” management style in which work is viewed as a means to self-fulfillment and in which leaders' primary goals are conflict resolution, community building, and “going with the flow.”