Volume 8, 2018
Comparative and Intercultural Philosophy
Marianna Benetatou
Pages 21-26
The Philosophy of No-Action
Daoist wu wei and Stoic apragmosynê
The paper surveys the ancient Daoist and ancient Stoic theories of moral conduct. In both cases, ethics are grounded in cosmology and even cosmogony (Laozi). Right conduct reproduces, copies, or transposes to human scale the way the cosmic principle works in the vast universe. Its existential dimension is described negatively as not purposeful, not ego-centered and not-object oriented and positively as supremely creative, free, wise, efficient and good. The Stoics underline its rational nature, whilst the Daoists explain its all-embracing function. Essential divergences cluster around the nature of the cosmic principle and its relation to humans. Expectedly, they determine the specific content and style of ethics. Nonetheless, significant convergences point to a fundamental “inversion” of intentionality and consequent actions. The inner disposition coincides with a conscious disengagement from conventional morality. Wisdom is attained by a process of un-learning how to pursue specific targets in order to attain a state of consciousness similar in many respects to cosmic polycentrality. Creativity, freedom, sagehood, even personality and subjectivity acquire a fresh and original meaning. The paper comports the following sections: Ethics and cosmology. Learning from nature, Universal harmony.