Original Text
When a sage governs the people, they are barely aware of his existence; the next best ruler is loved and praised; the next is feared; the worst is despised. When trust is lacking, the people do not believe. The sage acts with ease, issuing few commands. When things are accomplished, the people say, "We did it ourselves."
Guide
There are four levels of rulers, and the people's attitudes toward them vary accordingly. The best ruler is leisurely and rarely issues orders, to the point that the people are not even aware of his existence. When things are accomplished, the people believe they have achieved it on their own.
Analysis
In this chapter, Laozi primarily discusses the issue of rulers governing the state, advocating for governance through non-action, where the true essence of non-action is that nothing is left undone; only by attaining this realm can peace and prosperity be achieved. So how can a ruler reach the highest state of governing through non-action?
Laozi said that the Great Way is wordless yet eternal, and the Great Way is actionless yet all-capable; the true art of governance is to achieve everything through non-action. People often say, "A forcibly twisted melon is not sweet," which makes sense because when people force it, they haven't waited for the melon to ripen naturally, and how could an unripe melon be sweet? This is because people fail to follow the natural order, instead relying on subjective assumptions, which inevitably leads to self-inflicted consequences. This natural order can also be called the "Way." In real life, once people violate the Great Way, they will inevitably be punished; to avoid such punishment, people must undoubtedly align with the laws of the Way, and once their actions are in harmony with it, they will be free and achieve twice the results with half the effort. To put it another way, if rulers wish to avoid the punishment of the Great Way, they must conform to it and practice governance through non-action.
In this chapter, Laozi categorizes rulers into four levels: the highest, the next, the next after that, and the lowest. For ease of understanding, we may view these four levels as: the highest, the next, the next after that, and the lowest. The highest is the king who governs by non-action and aligns with the Tao; the next is the king who establishes sage teachings and honors promises to attract the world's talent; the next is the king who conquers by force and intimidates the people with authority; the lowest is the king who is openly despised and meets his end.
"Tai Shang" has two meanings: one refers to the highest sage ruler; the other refers to the distant ancient times. Here it refers to the highest sage ruler. Laozi's affirmation of "Tai Shang" shows his great admiration for the rule of the "invisible hand" like the Dao, indicating his opposition to active governance. In Laozi's view, the highest sage ruler should practice non-action governance, adopting a natural and non-interventionist policy when governing the country and its people. This policy is characterized by minimizing the ruler's strong influence on the country and people, not increasing the people's economic burden, and not waging large-scale wars externally, so the people do not feel his presence. The highest sage ruler employs methods that follow natural laws and does not interfere in people's lives, allowing the people to live in comfort and joy without anyone to resent, thus they are unaware of the ruler's existence.
"Next, they are loved and praised." This refers to a slightly inferior ruler, characterized by bestowing favors upon the people, who in turn feel close to and praise him. He benefits the people without placing himself above them or making them aware of his special status. He is approachable and respectable, living in harmony with the people.
"Next, they are feared." Such rulers are stern in voice and countenance, often projecting an arrogant and overbearing demeanor, using coercive measures to ensure the operation of the state apparatus, with the relationship between ruler and people being as incompatible as fire and water. The ruler establishes harsh rules and regulations that directly threaten the people's safety, causing the populace to live in fear, often in a state of dark misery, silently accumulating resentment while swallowing their anger.
"Next, they insult them." This is the lowest type of ruler, one who is tyrannical and domineering, disregarding the lives of the common people, not even treating them as their own subjects but as slaves, enslaving and abusing them. The people endure this inhuman treatment in silence until they can bear it no longer, at which point they are driven to rebel, rising up against tyranny.
Therefore, Laozi esteems rulers who practice non-action governance, for they do not lightly issue commands to the people, they are cautious in speech and action, never disrupting the people's natural way of life. The people follow the Dao, and the ruler need not labor or worry, yet the state is well-governed and the people live in peace. When life is prosperous and stable, the people do not feel the ruler's presence, perceiving everything as natural. With this feeling, the people harbor no gratitude, and without gratitude, there is no resentment; without resentment, the state is naturally peaceful. This scene is Laozi's best depiction of "the people all say, 'I am natural,'" reaching what Laozi calls the realm of the Dao. Thus, for a ruler to become the "supreme one," he must win the trust of all under heaven and follow nature, thereby realizing the "kingly way."
Classic Analysis
Laozi believed that the best ruler does not need to exhaust himself governing the people; he only needs sufficient authority to rule leisurely and effortlessly. This authority comes from "valuing words," meaning issuing few commands. Too many decrees, changed from morning to evening, only make the people more distressed and confused about what to follow. In Laozi's view, the government is not a power institution managing the people, but a tool to regulate them and align their actions with the natural way. Normally, the government and the people each mind their own affairs, and the people do not need to know the ruler exists.
In the "Imperial Century," it is recorded that during Emperor Yao's era, "the world was in great harmony, the people had no troubles, and five old men were playing a game of hitting the ground on the road. A spectator sighed and said: 'Great is Yao's virtue!' The old men said: 'We rise at sunrise, rest at sunset, dig wells to drink, and till the fields to eat. What has the emperor's power to do with us?'" This can be seen as the best description of Laozi's idea that "the people all say 'I am naturally content.'" Confucianism advocates ruling with virtue, and Mencius said: "A wise ruler governs so that the people love and praise him, but in Laozi's eyes, such a ruler is only second-rate for making the people 'intimate and praise him'; as for the Legalists who implement harsh laws and punishments to intimidate the people, they are even lower; and those rulers who change orders frequently, lack authority, and are despised by the people are the worst."
Laozi's ideas are certainly well-intentioned, but we must also recognize that they represent only a utopian ideal. Human nature is diverse, especially in times of great upheaval and transformation, where simply allowing people to develop freely is not always the best approach. As the saying goes, "Severe times call for severe laws." We should view Laozi's teachings with a developmental perspective, acknowledging both their political philosophy and their historical limitations. Otherwise, we risk being rigid and applying the wrong methods.