The Useless Tree

Tao and The Market

    Over at Danwei, Dror Poleg notices a resonance between Taoism and classical free market economics, with a deft change of one word in this passage from the Tao Te Ching:

 
The Market abides in non-action, yet nothing is left undone.
If kings and lords observed this, the ten thousand things would develop naturally.
If they still desired to act, they would return to the simplicity of formless substance.
Without form there is no desire.
Without desire there is tranquility.
And in this way all things would be at peace.

     I think Taoism does have some similarities with various strains of libertarianism: better to have less government regulation of the market, and life in general, than more.  But there are limits to the analogy.  What would Chuang Tzu have to say about giant corporations that dominate markets?  I would bet that he would be skeptical of the possibilities for full expression of one’s unique qualities, or integrity (the Te of the Tao Te Ching), in a globalized world market.  He would also scoff at the fetishism of commodities (a good, old-fashioned Marxist notion), through which we define who we are by the things that we buy and consume. 

    So, yes, the Tao embraces free markets, but it also rejects the concentration of capital and conspicuous consumption.

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6 responses to “Tao and The Market”

  1. Dror Poleg Avatar
    Dror Poleg

    Thanks for the link, Sam. In any case, Chuang Tzu would never preach to take any action to change the situation, which is the real lesson of Taoism.
    Inequality will always exist once you start to compare. People with utopian ideologies are the ones who bring destruction.
    Taoism is not about compassion or caring for others, even if these are some of its positive side effect.
    Heaven and Earth are not sentimental.
    In any case, no need to take things I say too seriously.
    Cheers,
    🙂
    Dror

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  2. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    I’m glad you stopped by, Dror. No, I don’t take it too seriously (that is another good Chuang Tzu trait: he would just laugh…). But, while heaven and earth may not be sentimental, I think there are ways that Taoism can engender respect for each individual thing. So, inequality is both inevitable and irrelevant. In Way they “all move as one and the same.”

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  3. The Rambling Taoist Avatar
    The Rambling Taoist

    From my perspective, Taoism doesn’t intersect well with capitalism. The latter couldn’t operate if all things are afforded respect and a place in the universe. Capitalism is built on exploitation and exploitation, by its very nature, disrespects anything that gets in the way of short-term profits.

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  4. Dror Poleg Avatar
    Dror Poleg

    Capitalism in its pure form is the equivalent of natural selection. It may sound cruel, but its true. In nature, the game is survival and every organizm plays its role… even if this role means being ate alive by a bigger predator.
    Kindness and empathy have no room in taoism, even if many westerners tend to relate it to such ideas.
    Daoism is not buddhism and is not moralism. Its taoism.
    Again, heaven and earth are not sentimental, they regard all things as straw dogs.

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  5. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    Hi ! Your site is very interesting. Thank you.

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  6. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    By what measure is capitalism exploitative? Capitalism, or the capitalism defended by libertarians is but a system of voluntary exchange by property owners. Yet governments gain there power through taxation, a coercive conversion of property. How is voluntary exchange by property owners exploitive? How can the alternative, government or a coercive conversion of property be any less exploitive?

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