Wuwei
/ˌwuːˈweɪ/noun
A Daoist principle of acting in accordance with the natural course of events rather than through force or excessive interference.
Did you know?In the *Daodejing*, wuwei is associated with effective leadership: the ideal ruler governs so subtly that people feel they acted naturally on their own.
Etymological Timeline
Late 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
無為 (*ma waɢ)
“Not doing, non-action, or acting without forced interference”
3rd Century BCE
Classical Chinese
無為
“A central Daoist ideal of spontaneous, uncontrived action”
2nd Century BCE
Classical Chinese
wúwéi
“Non-action or action that does not oppose the natural course of things”
20th Century
Modern Mandarin
wúwéi
“Effortless action; acting without coercion or artificial striving”
20th–21st Century
English
wuwei
“An English philosophical loanword referring to Daoist effortless action”