In contrast to other philosophies or religions, Taoists do not regard happiness as a goal. Why? Because they view happiness as a side effect of leading a virtuous life, not as a goal in itself.

Neither Lao-Tzu, Yang-Tzu or Chuang-Tzu employed the term “the pursuit of happiness” in their writings. They would have found such formulation incomprehensible.

The fact that Taoists do not pursue happiness does not mean that they do not consider it important. On the contrary, every piece of advice given by Taoist masters aims, indirectly, to the achievement of happiness.

However, I must underline the word “indirect.” All ancient Chinese Taoist texts refrain from promising happiness. Their avowed objective is the alignment of one’s actions with the Tao under the assumption that such an alignment will automatically lead to happiness.

In his works “Nicomachean Ethics” and “Eudemian Ethics,” Aristotle (384-322 BC) ended up designing a path to happiness based on the same intellectual equation.

If we do what’s needed, ethically and strategically, we’ll get to a point where happiness is automatically achieved, Aristotle argued. Lao-Tzu would have agreed with Aristotle’s formula, but not with its implementation. Why not? Because the concept of virtue in Aristotle does not match the Tao Te Ching.

A simple concept

Taoist philosophy rests on an extremely simple conception of virtue. The Tao Te Ching equates virtue with the Tao, that is, with natural law. Individuals can regard themselves as virtuous only to the extent that their actions match natural law.

I have not seen such a simple concept of virtue in any other philosophy or religion. Even Aristotle proved unable to design such a straightforward ethical system. His definitions of virtue are, to put it mildly, indeterminate and vague.

In particular, the Aristotelian concept of “the golden mean” undermines the idea of objective morality; for instance, he is in favour of generosity, but fails to offer an objective definition. It is up to each individual, argued Aristotle, to identify the golden mean between reckless spending and a miser’s mentality.

I find Aristotle’s moral prescription extremely poor. He tells us to be courageous, proactive, thoughtful, generous, friendly, benevolent and fair. These are just a few examples of the moral ideal depicted in the “Nicomachean Ethics.” Can you imagine the effort it takes to identify the gold mean in every situation.

Aristotle’s ethical system proves unworkable, unaffordable, and unfathomable in daily practice. Nobody has the energy to assess his own actions all day long from the perspective of the golden mean. Even if someone tried to do it, he would not get it right often due to the time pressure inherent in daily life.

Unfortunately, Aristotle’s mistakes were compounded by his most famous intellectual heir, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). It was not Aquinas’ intention to complicate Aristotle’s doctrines, but that’s exactly what he did. Aquinas did not only endorse the concept of the golden mean, but covered it with a thick patina of Bible quotations.

Only one guideline

Aquinas would have accepted the Taoist definition of virtue as the alignment of one’s actions with natural law, but his grasp of natural law was superficial at best. He expected each person to figure out the golden mean and God’s hidden plans, and then turn his conclusion into some kind of universal command.

In the Middle Ages, the Dominican Order devoted hundreds of years to elaborate on Aquinas’ moral disquisitions, but didn’t make much progress.

Despite their advising everybody to follow Aquinas’ ethical prescriptions, the Dominicans could not even agree amongst themselves where to place Aquinas’ remains. After his death in Fossanova, Italy, the Dominicans ended up cutting up his body and spreading the relics amongst several churches.

I wonder if the great Aquinas, who regarded his moral ideas as universal, would have agreed to have his skull transported to the Dominican mother church in Toulouse, France, while some bits and pieces of his body had remained in Italy.

His universal morality failed to ensure a consistent decision about his last resting place, but that’s just an illustration of how difficult it is to identify the golden mean, God’s hidden plan, or any other aspect requiring sophisticated intellectual tools.

In contrast, Lao-Tzu never claimed to know the answers to all questions. He consistently referred to the Tao or natural law as the only valid guideline. If we align our actions with natural law, happiness will ensue automatically, and if we fail to do so, problems will pile up and eventually wipe us out.

An inspiring metaphor

While Aristotle and Aquinas made complex analyses of the golden mean, the Tao Te Ching employed metaphors to depict natural law. In real life, it’s much easier to use those metaphors than to figure out the golden mean between reckless spending and a miser’s mentality.

Chapter 78 of the Tao Te Ching exhorts us to imitate water, specifically in terms of flexibility and adaptability. If the road is blocked, water can circumvent the obstacle. If the conditions change, water can adapt and keep flowing.

In the metaphor, water is flowing towards the ocean, and in real life, humans want to advance happiness. The indirect goal of human action is acknowledged, but Taoists choose to remain focused on the daily steps.

If we circumvent the obstacles, we will keep advancing and eventually achieve our goal. If water keeps flowing, it will end up in the sea. Thus, we should not waste time agonizing about how long it is going to take.

The water metaphor teaches us to focus on the flow, not on the destination. It conveys the idea that steadiness is essential, even if the rate of progress proves irregular. On some days, the rate of progress will be impressive; and on other occasions, we will advance so slowly that it seems that we are immobile.

Because of his reliance on natural law, Lao-Tzu opted for concentrating on the immediate steps; we can perform our non-actions or actions only today, and if we make the right choices, the future will take care of itself and deliver the happiness that we deserve.

If you are interested in putting effective insights into practice, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”