The Way

This is my latest at the Partial Observer. Excerpt:

The Way also gives advice for rulers. In essence, it is the same message: leave people alone, leave things alone. Even let one's enemies alone because, as they try to force things, they will self-destruct. There have been subsequent historical examples of this. For instance, the Russians beat Napoleon because they refused to fight his armies head-to-head. The Tao offers plenty of sound advice for absolute monarchs. Indeed, in Chinese culture, the Emperor was viewed as the center around which the country revolved. If he just remained in the "center," and kept his own palace in order, the country would run smoothly. The more the Emperor interfered with the country, the more likely it would break down.