Govern Like a Libertarian
| Original | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 絕 聖 棄 智 | stop hallowing, discard conventions |
| 民 利 百 倍 | the people will benefit 100 times over |
| 絕 仁 棄 義 | stop donating, discard piousness |
| 民 復 孝 慈 | the people will restore genuine filial-piety |
| 絕 巧 棄 利 | stop advising, discard profit |
| 盜 賊 無 有 | clever thieves to lack |
| 此 三 者以 為 文 不 足 | these three things are not (quite) enough to run society |
| 故 令 有 所 屬 | so, government-officials have government-enforcers |
| 見 素 | watch plain-normalness |
| 抱 樸 | embrace the uncut-wood |
| 少 私 | reduce ego-self |
| 寡 欲 | seperate from desire |
My Comments:
This chapter kind of bothers me (as does the previous one)
It feels like it is advising on how to run a country. Which I suppose I am supportive of the idea that the country needs to get out of certain things. ... well, most things. Deciding what is holy, or correct, or distributing funds, or rewarding inginuity. And simply allowing the citizens to be themselves.
But, most of the chapters in the book deal with both inner universe and outer universe, and teach advice about the one using imagry for the other. to discard things that are sacred, and discontinue service to others and other benficial traits ... seems to go against the advice of other chapters (like chapter 8, for instance).
I think Laozi might have been the first libertarian.