<i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i>
The term <i>ziran</i> first appears in the <i>Daodejing</i>, yet its precise meaning and attribution remain ambiguous in this book, sparking ongoing scholarly debate. This paper argues that Laozi’s idea of <i>ziran</i> fundamentally pertains to all things and the...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Yiming Wang |
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| description | The term <i>ziran</i> first appears in the <i>Daodejing</i>, yet its precise meaning and attribution remain ambiguous in this book, sparking ongoing scholarly debate. This paper argues that Laozi’s idea of <i>ziran</i> fundamentally pertains to all things and the common people, rather than the Dao or the ruler, and its realization depends on the noncoercive action (<i>wuwei</i>, 無為) of the Dao and the ruler. While <i>ziran</i> is commonly understood as “natural” or “free from external force”, Laozi reinterprets it beyond its literal meaning, integrating the notion of order through its relationship with <i>wuwei</i> and thus imbuing it with theoretical significance. In this framework, <i>ziran</i> encompasses orders of internal senses and orders of external activities inherent in all things while simultaneously excluding excessive and disorderly desires. It thereby serves as a criterion for assessing the orderliness of desires. Furthermore, by elucidating <i>ziran</i> as the continuous transformation of things, the standard to which the ideal ruler or the sage resorts to curb the disorderly desires of the common people is established. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6d96a0fcfda44fcf959bfe5574bf1456 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj-art-6d96a0fcfda44fcf959bfe5574bf14562025-08-20T03:08:02ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442025-07-0116790210.3390/rel16070902<i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i>Yiming Wang0Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaThe term <i>ziran</i> first appears in the <i>Daodejing</i>, yet its precise meaning and attribution remain ambiguous in this book, sparking ongoing scholarly debate. This paper argues that Laozi’s idea of <i>ziran</i> fundamentally pertains to all things and the common people, rather than the Dao or the ruler, and its realization depends on the noncoercive action (<i>wuwei</i>, 無為) of the Dao and the ruler. While <i>ziran</i> is commonly understood as “natural” or “free from external force”, Laozi reinterprets it beyond its literal meaning, integrating the notion of order through its relationship with <i>wuwei</i> and thus imbuing it with theoretical significance. In this framework, <i>ziran</i> encompasses orders of internal senses and orders of external activities inherent in all things while simultaneously excluding excessive and disorderly desires. It thereby serves as a criterion for assessing the orderliness of desires. Furthermore, by elucidating <i>ziran</i> as the continuous transformation of things, the standard to which the ideal ruler or the sage resorts to curb the disorderly desires of the common people is established.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/902<i>ziran</i>noncoercive actionDaoorderdesiretransformation |
| spellingShingle | Yiming Wang <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> Religions <i>ziran</i> noncoercive action Dao order desire transformation |
| title | <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> |
| title_full | <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> |
| title_fullStr | <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> |
| title_short | <i>Ziran</i> and Continuous Orderly Transformation: New Interpretation of <i>Ziran</i> in <i>Daodejing</i> |
| title_sort | i ziran i and continuous orderly transformation new interpretation of i ziran i in i daodejing i |
| topic | <i>ziran</i> noncoercive action Dao order desire transformation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/16/7/902 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yimingwang iziraniandcontinuousorderlytransformationnewinterpretationofiziraniinidaodejingi |