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One should face reality calmly and follow its natural course. This is an attitude to life espoused by the ancient philosopher Zhuangzi (369?-286 BC). He believed that all things undergo spontaneous transformations independent of man’s will and that humans should face the changes of life and death calmly. However, this does not mean passivity or resignation. It means that people should look upon
life with detachment, be at ease with changes and follow life’s natural path. This is an extension of Laozi’s principle that “Dao operates naturally.”
Shi (时 time or timing) has the following three meanings: First, the sequence or rules of heaven’s way, such as spring, summer, autumn, and winter; or hours that mark changes of time during day and night; Second, a certain celestial phenomenon or climatic condition having impact on human activity, such as seasons for farming or timing for other activities; Third, the right time or opportunity that emerges in the course of human activity. The emergence or disappearance of timing is governed by the rules of heaven’s way or human behavior. People should gain a good understanding and master time or timing and their manifested rules and act in a way commensurate with them.
Dao operates in accordance with natural conditions of all things. This idea first appeared in the book Laozi, according to which “natural” means the natural state of things. Dao creates and nurtures everything, yet it does not command anything. In political philosophy, the relationship between Dao and natural things implies that between the ruler and the people. The rulers should follow the natural requirements of Dao, which places limits on their power, and govern by means of non-interference to allow the people and affairs to take their own natural course.
Things grow or wither as time goes by, or advance or retrogress as circumstances change. This term comes from The Book of Changes. Ancient Chinese believed that the world evolved with time, nothing remained unchanged and that people should act in keeping with the circumstances. They stressed that people should observe the way of heaven and “go with the times.”
The notion of adjusting one’s actions to the “times” comes from The Book of Changes. The “times” refer to the opportunities or chances that present themselves as human activities progress. In the circumstances determined by the times, one should choose correspondingly suitable methods of handling affairs. The appearance and disappearance of opportunities and chances, and their impact on human affairs reflect the principles of the way of heaven and human affairs. People should recognize and keep pace with the change of the times and adapt in agreement with the times.
The ancient Chinese believed that virtuous men followed the will of heaven in establishing a political regime and becoming its sovereigns; hence their success came from the mandate of heaven. This thought is similar to the Western notion of the divine right of kings; but it also emphasizes the wishes and will of the people, or people-centered thinking. In ancient China, this phrase was often used in praise of the founding of a new dynasty, and the implementation of major social reforms to justify its legitimacy.
This term means one should not only have a good command of the basic rules that govern things, but also know how to deal with exceptional situations or problems in a flexible manner. It suggests that one should not just adhere to principles, but also act according to circumstances. Chang (常permanence) and bian (变change) are two opposing concepts in ancient Chinese philosophy. The nature of things that decides what they are, and their basic rules or general principles that are relatively stable are called chang (permanence); but when it comes to specific situations or ways to deal with them, they are different and change in different circumstances, thus they are called bian (change). Relative to change, permanence is what endures within change. Permanence is fundamental while change is a deviation. Therefore, one needs not only to have a good command of the basic rules and general principles of things, but also know how to apply these rules and principles in a flexible manner according to objective circumstances. The mastery of both permanence and change reflects ancient Chinese people’s perception of both generality and particularity as well as principles and flexibility. It also shows their methodology in the application of both.
What is justified and fair is bound to work; acting with determination is bound to succeed. This statement emphasizes that being on justified ground and acting decisively will enable one to ultimately achieve the goal, which is similar to the current view that people should both be self-motivated and respect objective laws.
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