Original Text
Govern the state with the quiet and non-interfering Way, employ troops with cunning and secret strategies, and rule the world by not disturbing the people. How do I know this is so? By this: the more prohibitions and decrees there are, the poorer the people become; the more sharp weapons the people possess, the more chaotic the state grows; the more cunning and cleverness people develop, the more strange and evil things arise; the harsher the laws, the more lawbreakers appear. Therefore the sage says: "I take no action, and the people transform themselves; I love stillness, and the people correct themselves; I engage in no affairs, and the people prosper; I have no desires, and the people become simple and pure."
Guide
Laozi uses the inverse evidence that "the more taboos there are in the world, the poorer the people become; the more sharp tools people possess, the more chaotic the state grows; the more cunning skills people have, the more strange things arise; the more laws and decrees are promulgated, the more thieves and bandits appear" to argue that one should "take the world by doing nothing," continuing to emphasize the governing principle of quietude and non-action.Analysis
In earlier chapters, Laozi repeatedly mentioned the idea of governing by non-action. The main theme of this chapter remains "governing by non-action." Laozi believed that if rulers can practice non-action, remain tranquil, avoid unnecessary interference, and be free from desires, then the people, influenced by such profound virtue, will naturally follow the right path, becoming both prosperous and simple in goodness.
This chapter begins with "governing with uprightness," where "uprightness" refers to purity and non-action, which is also Laozi's strategy for governance. Laozi once served as the "keeper of the archives" in the Zhou dynasty, a modest position that nonetheless allowed him access to the highest rulers. Through careful observation of these rulers, he deeply analyzed their virtues and proposed the advice of governing with the Way of uprightness, a suggestion that remains relevant today. "Uprightness" holds unique significance in traditional Chinese culture. The Chinese people revere a righteous spirit, believing it possesses boundless power, hence the saying "evil cannot prevail over righteousness." Many ancient Chinese emperors adopted "uprightness and brightness" as their moral code, and numerous officials regarded it as their principle of governance, where "uprightness" signifies righteousness and pure non-action. However, in Laozi's era, society was far from achieving such uprightness and brightness; the people suffered under oppressive rulers and endured the hardships of war. In response to this reality, Laozi called on rulers to govern with uprightness, voicing the aspirations of the people of his time.
Now let's examine the idea of "using surprise in warfare." Although Laozi's Tao Te Ching is not a military treatise, it contains some strategic thinking about warfare, which has been touched upon in previous chapters. Laozi was always opposed to war, but war is inevitable and will not cease to exist because of anyone's preferences. Faced with this reality, Laozi devised the strategy of "using surprise in warfare" to provide guidance for the weak and righteous rulers. How should we understand Laozi's idea of "using surprise in warfare"? Laozi believed that warfare should employ unconventional tactics, using strange methods, unexpected strategies, and deceptive plans to confuse the enemy, thereby achieving victory through surprise. Laozi first discusses the principle of "governing the state with uprightness," and then immediately explains the meaning of "using surprise in warfare." This may seem abrupt, but it is not arbitrary; rather, it is Laozi's response to the "uprightness" of governance. Warfare requires "surprise," while politics requires "uprightness." He warns rulers to govern the world with both "surprise" and "uprightness."
From the above, it is clear that the ideas of "governing the state with integrity" and "using surprise tactics in warfare" were proposed by Laozi from the standpoint of the common people to the rulers of his time. During the Spring and Autumn period, wars of annexation erupted one after another, social order was in extreme chaos, and the people were in a highly dangerous environment, so they took up weapons to protect themselves. However, once everyone possessed weapons, they no longer felt safe. When people feel unsafe, they fall into panic, and this psychology was a major cause of the world's great disorder. Thus, the instability of the world was closely related to the rulers. Yet, the rulers of that time, in order to stabilize the world and intimidate the people, mostly advocated for harsh laws and severe punishments. Laozi strongly disagreed with this and even openly opposed such abuse of state machinery. In his view, severe punishments could not calm people's hearts or stabilize society; instead, they would have the opposite effect. Therefore, he advocated for a governance strategy of non-action and emphasized the power of moral influence.
"In this way: the more taboos there are in the world, the poorer the people become; the more sharp tools the people have, the more chaotic the state; the more cleverness the people possess, the more strange things arise; the more laws and decrees are displayed, the more thieves and robbers there are." In this passage, Laozi lists a series of social phenomena, reflecting his specific thoughts on national welfare and people's livelihood, which also contain his worries about the social situation. Laozi believes that people's nature is good, and unless absolutely necessary, they will never stir up trouble. The reason why people revolt is mainly because rulers commit tyrannical acts. The greedier the ruler, the more taboos there are in the world; the more taboos, the poorer the people's lives; when people's lives are poor, they are prone to causing trouble, leading to rebellion in the world; when people rebel, the state falls into chaos; when the state is chaotic, people's cunning and cleverness increase, and strange and evil things become more prevalent; when strange and evil things prevail, laws and decrees become stricter, and thieves and robbers become more rampant.
Thus the sage says: "I take no action, and the people transform themselves; I prefer stillness, and the people correct themselves; I engage in no affairs, and the people prosper on their own; I have no desires, and the people become simple." In these words, Laozi quotes the enlightened ruler to reaffirm his own view. In his perspective, the reason enlightened rulers can govern the world well is precisely because they practice non-action, prefer stillness, engage in no affairs, and have no desires. Therefore, as long as rulers govern the world with no desires and non-action, they can achieve national peace and prosperity.