Ethics of Non-Action (Wu Wei)

"Ethics of Non-Action (Wu Wei)" is designed for upper-level undergraduates or graduate students in philosophy, religious studies, or East Asian studies.


Course Title: Ethics of Non-Action (Wu Wei)

  • Course Code: PHIL 4XX / RELS 4XX
  • Credits: 3
  • Semester: Fall/Spring
  • Prerequisites: Introduction to Eastern Philosophy or instructor approval
  • Delivery: Seminar (in-person or online)


Course Description:

This course explores the ethical dimensions of Wu Wei (無為), or “non-action,” a central concept in Daoist philosophy. While often interpreted as passivity or inaction, Wu Wei refers to an ethical mode of action in harmony with the Dao (道). We will analyze classical sources—primarily the Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi—and place them in dialogue with Confucian, Buddhist, and contemporary ethical theories. Topics include spontaneity, virtue, ecological ethics, leadership, resistance, and the paradox of effortlessness.


Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, students will:

  1. Understand the philosophical foundations of Wu Wei in classical Daoism.
  2. Analyze Wu Wei as an ethical principle rather than a mystical or metaphysical stance.
  3. Compare Daoist ethics with Western virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism.
  4. Apply the concept of Wu Wei to contemporary ethical challenges.
  5. Engage critically with both primary texts and secondary scholarship.


Weekly Syllabus

Week 1 – Introduction to Daoism and Wu Wei

  • Overview of Daoist philosophy and cosmology
  • Readings: Dao De Jing (chs. 1–5), Ivanhoe, "Wu Wei and the Dao"

Week 2 – Conceptual Framework of Wu Wei

  • Nature, spontaneity, and effortlessness
  • Readings: Dao De Jing (chs. 16, 25, 37), Slingerland, Effortless Action (Intro & Ch. 1)

Week 3 – Zhuangzi and the Ethics of Play

  • The butterfly dream and the useless tree
  • Readings: Zhuangzi (Selections), Ames, “Zhuangzi and the Play of Life”

Week 4 – Wu Wei vs. Confucian Effort

  • Tensions between ritual propriety (li) and spontaneity
  • Readings: Analects (Selections), Angle, Sagehood, Ch. 2

Week 5 – Virtue Without Striving

  • Wu Wei and Aristotelian virtue ethics
  • Readings: Slingerland, Effortless Action (Ch. 3); Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Selections)

Week 6 – Ruler and Society: Political Implications

  • Wu Wei as a political ethic
  • Readings: Dao De Jing (chs. 57, 60); Zhuangzi, "The Robber Zhi"

Week 7 – Midterm Presentations

  • Student presentations on key concepts in Wu Wei

Week 8 – Ecological Applications of Wu Wei

  • Nature, harmony, and sustainable ethics
  • Readings: Liu Xiaogan, “Daoism and Environmental Philosophy”

Week 9 – Buddhist Resonances and Divergences

  • Wu Wei and non-dual awareness
  • Readings: Selections from Platform Sutra and Dōgen; Loy, “The Great Awakening”

Week 10 – Modern Interpretations and Misinterpretations

  • New Age, mindfulness, and appropriation
  • Readings: Watts, The Way of Zen (Ch. on Taoism); Komjathy, “Daoism: A Guide for the Perplexed”

Week 11 – Resistance, Activism, and the Paradox of Non-Action

  • Wu Wei and ethical resistance
  • Readings: James Miller, “Daoism and Activism”; Graeber, Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology (Selections)

Week 12 – Capstone Discussions & Final Projects

  • Synthesis of themes and contemporary ethical questions
  • No new readings – student-led discussions


Assignments and Grading

  • Weekly Reading Responses (20%)
  • Midterm Presentation (20%)
  • Analytical Essay (25%) – Apply Wu Wei to a contemporary ethical dilemma
  • Final Project (30%) – Can be research paper or creative application
  • Participation (5%)


Primary Texts

  • Laozi, Dao De Jing (trans. Ivanhoe or Ames & Hall)
  • Zhuangzi, Basic Writings (trans. Watson)
  • Slingerland, Edward. Effortless Action
  • Selected academic articles (provided via course reader)