Daoism and Nature

Daoism may be the most ecologically minded philosophy in history. Its central teaching — align with the natural order rather than impose human will on it — is essentially an environmental ethic stated centuries before the modern ecology movement.

The Daoist farmer works with the field's contours; the Daoist builder uses natural materials and ventilation. Modern sustainability rediscovers these ideas in technical language: biomimicry, permaculture, and regenerative design all share the insight that working with nature beats working against it.