Daoism
A broad family of Chinese philosophical and religious traditions concerned with Dao, cultivation, and patterns of life.
Foundation editorial draft · Updated 2026-10-18
A question to carry
How might life be lived in attunement with Dao rather than through rigid forcing?
The Daodejing and later Daoist traditions have varied histories, practices, and interpretations. This entry keeps philosophical and religious Daoist currents distinguishable rather than collapsing them into a slogan about “going with the flow.”
Words you will meet
- Dao
- Way or path; in the Daodejing it names a principle that resists simple definition.
- De
- Often translated virtue or power; interpretations vary across texts and commentaries.
- Wuwei
- Non-forcing or non-doing; not simple passivity or refusal to act.
A distinction worth keeping
Do not treat Daoism as a generic wellness philosophy or assume its classical texts have a single settled author or meaning.