Abstract

This paper offers a fresh interpretation of WANG Bi’s 王弼 (226–249) account of wuwei 無為, shifting the focus from metaphysics to ethics. While wuwei has traditionally been understood as “non-action,” “no interference,” or “following the nature of things,” I argue that WANG Bi’s conception is better captured as non-intentional moral action—a form of conduct that is free from preconceived motives or self-directed desires yet performed knowingly and nonaccidentally. This reinterpretation addresses a gap in existing scholarship. Since TANG Yongtong’s 湯用彤 influential view of Neo-Daoism as primarily ontological, WANG Bi’s ethical contributions have been underexplored. Yet WANG Bi explicitly sought to harmonize Daoist spontaneity with Confucian moral life. His commentary on the Daodejing warns that deliberate benevolence transforms virtue into falsity, while his use of Heaven and Earth as models illustrates action that is non-intentional and impartial. Such passages point to a moral theory that privileges responsiveness over intentional design. I argue that non-intentional moral actions are ethically superior to intentional ones for three reasons: (1) they avoid distortions caused by desire-driven or self-serving motives, (2) they preserve the authenticity of virtues such as ren 仁 (benevolence) and yi 義 (righteousness), and (3) they embody impartial, world-guided responsiveness to circumstances. By reframing wuwei in this way, the paper demonstrates that WANG Bi’s thought is not only metaphysical but also deeply ethical, offering a distinctive model of moral agency that reconciles Daoist spontaneity with Confucian virtue.