Dao De Jing – Chapter 3

The exposition of Chapter 3 of the Dao De Jing has sparked significant controversy. Some scholars argue that Laozi exhibits a passive attitude toward life here, with interpretations even suggesting he advocates policies of stupefying the populace.

Do not exalt the worthy, and the people will not compete;
do not value rare treasures, and the people will not steal;
do not display what is desirable, and their hearts will not be disturbed.

Thus, the sage governs by emptying their minds, filling their bellies,
weakening their ambitions, and strengthening their bones.
He constantly keeps the people free from cleverness and desire –
so that even the wise dare not act recklessly.

Acting through non-action (wu wei), everything is in good order.

Note

The concept of Wu Wei (non-action), one of the cornerstones of Laozi’s philosophy, makes its first appearance in this chapter. In fact, Wu Wei constitutes the central theme of this section. Laozi advocates for governance by sages rooted in the principle of non-intervention, asserting that this philosophical approach proves beneficial and effective for both individual development and social order.

The thinker identifies four primary sources of social chaos: obsession with 1) fame, 2) material gain, 3) excessive desires, and 4) superfluous knowledge. To curb these unchecked ambitions, he proposes a dual strategy: on one hand, addressing the basic and legitimate needs of the populace by ensuring material conditions that strengthen their physical health; on the other, fostering a mindset free from vanity and superficial competition.

A crucial aspect of his framework lies in implementing measures to deter the talented from abusing their abilities, ensuring that “the most capable dare not act recklessly.”

Further Reading

The concepts of “not exalting the worthy” and “not valuing rare goods” in this chapter echo the idea of “I practice non-action, and the people transform themselves” in Chapter Fifty-Seven. Chapter Three establishes the principle of “governance through non-action,” while Chapter Fifty-Seven concretely illustrates the harm of excessive intervention with examples such as “the more laws and decrees are promulgated, the more thieves and bandits proliferate,” thereby reinforcing the governing philosophy introduced in this chapter.

不尚賢，使民不爭；不貴難得之貨，使民不為盜；不見可欲，使心不亂。是以聖人之治，虛其心，實其腹，弱其志，強其骨。常使民無知無欲。使夫知者不敢為也。為無為，則無不治。