The ideal form of government for Laozi is an invisible one. In chapter seventeen, Laozi states, “The greatest of rulers is but a shadowy presence”. This does not mean Laozi thinks anarchy is the way to go but the action of wuiwei (nonaction) is. This idea of a simple form of government coincides with the idea of a simple life. Laozi believes only through such practices as stripping oneself from all excess desires and abandoning knowledge can one live a long lasting life.
The town that people under Laozi’s ideal government lives in, is peaceful and quite (Laozi, 31), but not uninviting. Even though the citizens can hear their neighbors, they do not visit them (Laozi, 80). The
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