The ethical implications of the Daoist world view

Daoist ethics are difficult to pinpoint in a Western ethical framework. At times classic Daoist texts advocate for certain ways of life over others, yet at other times they rebel against the notions of right and wrong. This attitude about right and wrong, leads some to believe that Daoists are moral relativists who believe that right and wrong are merely an arbitrary valuing within the mind and that there is no justification for external moral critique. Others believe that there is a Daoist ethic, but it advocates only not acting, in the literal sense, when we are faced with ethical choices. This paper attempts to show a coherent, universal ethic that can be inferred from a close reading of these texts.