What is Philosophy as demonstrated in
Ancient Chinese Philosophy by Lao Tzu in the way he specifies the solution to
the problem?
The Philosophy as demonstrated by Lao Tzu
in the way he specifies the solution to the problem is the return of the person
to the Tao or to the ways of nature. This is to say that a person must learn to
go back to the ways of nature so that he would know on how to deal with the
natural problems properly.
The problem that Lao Tzu perceived was that
of natural disorder rooted from knowledge and desire. His solution to the
problem is letting things flow the way they should be. This is to say that the
person should empty his self from the things he learned from humanity to avoid
the desire for something. When one has avoided the hunger of things, he would
not yearn for anything other than supplying his basic needs. He would only
satisfy his needs for survival.
Not yearning for anything other than the
basic needs is hard to achieve especially when someone is too caught up by
humanity. This is to say that the person’s life revolves around the things in
the world. Lao Tzu presented some solutions to this agony that a person may be
experiencing. First is that the government should not interfere with the
affairs of the people. This is to say that they let the people handle their
things the way they wanted it to be. The government does not control the lives
of the people instead they only facilitate them. They are only there to assist
the people and not to impose things and let them do whatever they wanted them
to do.
The non-interference of the government can
only be done through a great king whom Lao Tzu identified as a
philosopher-king. Having a philosopher-king as a leader is Lao Tzu’s second
solution. A philosopher-king is one who has learned to be sage, that is to say
that he knows the way of the Tao. He lives in a life that is following the ways
of nature. He is someone who has already knew the ways of the Tao, thus he took
the responsibility of being the leader to avoid those who has dreamt of
becoming a leader rule over the empire. With a philosopher-king as a ruler, the
empire would experience what Wing Tsit Chan interpreted as the laissez faire
type of government. With this type of government, the people are free to do
whatever they want to do. The role of the government is to not enforce laws but
to ensure the security of the people and assist them in their needs.
One has to be led in that way so that one
would realize the need to let things act on their own. I believe that it is a
person’s nature to act when someone has already done it. What I mean is that someone do things because
of somebody else’s influence. It is easier for man to realize the need to go
back to the ways of nature when one has already done it. Having a philosopher-king
and a government that follows the ways of nature would inspire a person to also
go back to the ways of nature.
Through the leadership of the government
under the philosopher-king, the people would have a better understanding of how
to handle natural conflicts or problems. The philosopher-king who knows the
ways first has opened the doors for others to realize that too. He let others grasp
their own potential through letting them realize their natural self. Through
that, they recognize the natural play of things which is that there would
always be contradictions and dealing them is not through abolishing the other
but through compensating and harmonizing the two.
With the philosopher-king and the
government following the ways of the Tao, it would open a person’s mind to also
return to the ways of nature. Returning to the Tao would help them in dealing
natural problems and conflicts.
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Reference
Rola, R. (2013). Government of Non-Interference. Retrieved from http://adduphilo321.blogspot.com/2013/02/government-of-non-interference.html
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