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block. The Tao, he asserts, follows what is natural. It is the way in which the universe works, the order of nature which gives all things their being and sustains them.
    The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and the right.
    The ten thousand things depend on it; it holds nothing back.
    It fulfils its purpose silently and makes no claim.(34)
     
    Needham describes it not so much as a force, but as a ‘kind of natural curvature in time and space’. 4
    Like most later anarchists, the Taoists see the universe as being in a continuous state of flux. Reality is in a state of process; everything changes, nothing is constant. They also have a dialectical concept of change as adynamic interplay as opposing forces. Energy flows continually between the poles of
yin
and
yang.
At the same time, they stress the unity and harmony of nature. Nature is self-sufficient and uncreated; there is no need to postulate a conscious creator. It is a view which not only recalls that of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus but coincides with the description of the universe presented by modern physics. Modern social ecology, which stresses unity in diversity, organic growth and natural order, further reflects the Taoist world-view.
    The approach to nature recommended by Lao Tzu and the Taoists is one of receptivity. Where the Confucian wants to conquer and exploit nature, the Taoist tries to contemplate and understand it. The Taoists’ traditionally ‘feminine’ approach to nature suggests that their way of thinking may well have first evolved in a matriarchal society. While at first sight it might seem a religious attitude, in fact it encouraged a scientific and democratic outlook amongst Taoists. By not imposing their own preconceptions, they were able to observe and understand nature and therefore learn to channel its energy beneficially.
    The Taoists were primarily interested in nature but their conception of the universe had important corollaries for society. A definite system of ethics and politics emerges. There are no absolute Taoist values; for good and bad, like
yin
and
yang
, are related. Their interplay is necessary for growth, and in order to achieve something it is often best to start with its opposite. Nevertheless, an ideal of the wise person emerges in Taoist teaching who is unpretentious, sincere, spontaneous, generous and detached. For the Taoists, the art of living is to be found in simplicity, non-assertion and creative play.
    Central to Taoist teaching is the concept of
wu-wei.
It is often translated as merely non-action. In fact there are striking philological similarities between ‘anarchism’ and
‘wu-wei’.
Just as αναeχια in Greek means absence of a ruler,
wu-wei
means lack of
wei
, where
wei
refers to ‘artificial, contrived activity that interferes with natural and spontaneous development’. 5 From a political point of view,
wei
refers to the imposition of authority. To do something in accordance with
wu-wei
is therefore considered natural; it leads to natural and spontaneous order. It has nothing to do with all forms of imposed authority.
    The
Tao te ching
is quite clear about the nature of force. If we use force, whether physical or moral, to improve ourselves or the world, we simply waste energy and weaken ourselves: ‘force is followed by loss of strength’(30). It follows that those who wage war will suffer as a result: ‘a violent man will die a violent death’(42). By contrast, giving way is often the best way to overcome: ‘Under heaven nothing is more soft and yielding than water. Yet for attacking the solid and strong, nothing is better; it hasno equal. The weak can overcome the strong; the supple can overcome the stiff.’(78) The gentle peacefulness recommended by the Taoists is not a form of defeatist submission but a call for the creative and effective use of energy.
    ‘Practise non-action. Work without doing’(63), Lao Tzu recommends. In their concept of
wu-wei
, the Taoists are