wu wei
E542484
Wu wei is a central Taoist principle of effortless action, emphasizing alignment with the natural flow of the universe rather than forceful striving.
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Chinese philosophical term
ⓘ
Taoist concept ⓘ ethical concept ⓘ philosophical principle ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
ethical decision-making
ⓘ
governance ⓘ personal conduct ⓘ spiritual cultivation ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Laozi
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Zhuangzi (philosopher) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| clarification | does not mean literal inaction but non-forced action ⓘ |
| contrastsWith |
aggressive striving
ⓘ
deliberate force ⓘ rigid control ⓘ |
| coreIdea |
acting in accordance with the natural flow of the Dao
ⓘ
avoiding forceful or willful striving ⓘ minimal interference with natural processes ⓘ non-coercive action ⓘ spontaneous, unforced action ⓘ |
| culturalContext | ancient Chinese philosophy ⓘ |
| emphasizes |
alignment with the Dao
ⓘ
effortless effectiveness ⓘ humility ⓘ natural spontaneity ⓘ simplicity ⓘ |
| goal |
harmony with the Dao
ⓘ
inner tranquility ⓘ natural efficiency ⓘ |
| hasLanguage | Classical Chinese NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasModernReception |
applied in leadership and management theory
ⓘ
studied in comparative philosophy ⓘ |
| hasTranslation |
effortless action
ⓘ
non-action ⓘ without doing ⓘ |
| influenced |
Chan (Zen) Buddhism interpretations of spontaneity
ⓘ
Chinese aesthetics ⓘ Chinese martial arts philosophy ⓘ Chinese political thought ⓘ |
| inGovernanceImplies |
allowing people to follow their own nature
ⓘ
ruling with minimal interference ⓘ |
| inPersonalLifeImplies |
acting without inner compulsion or anxiety
ⓘ
responding appropriately to circumstances ⓘ |
| isCentralTo | Taoism NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| isDiscussedIn |
Dao De Jing
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Zhuangzi NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| misinterpretation | complete passivity ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
Dao (the Way)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
ziran (naturalness) ⓘ |
| timePeriodOfOrigin | Warring States period of China NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.