Wu Wei
/wuː weɪ/noun
A Daoist concept of effortless action or non-forcing alignment with the natural flow of events.
Did you know?In classical Daoist thought, wu wei was not passive inaction but the highest form of skill: acting so naturally that effort disappears, like a spell with no visible spellcaster.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
無為 / 无为
“non-doing; not forcing; acting without contrivance”
Late Warring States / Early Han
Chinese
道家用語 無為
“a key Daoist ideal of effortless, unforced action in harmony with the Dao”
19th Century
English
wu wei
“Romanized borrowing used in translations of Daoist philosophy”
Modern English
English
wu wei
“a Daoist term for effortless action or non-forcing alignment with the natural order”