<老子>的政治思想是一組系統化的概念的連結：以「道」作為整個思想的指導， 復次在「道體」和「道用」兩個主要面向上呈現，前者描述了「道」作為一個「本體」的概 念， 後者則涉及了「道」作為「規律」的意含，顯然地，< 老子 > 一書的政治思想主要是 從「道用」的層次出發，然而不時又再向「道體」回歸； 「反」與「弱」談到了 < 老子 > 政治思想中的「消極」到「積極」的機轉，由「反」到「常」談的不是對立，而是一種關於 本源的返復．「弱」強調的是對於人為事物的影響力的消解，為回歸自然的秩序預舖道路； 「虛靜」的重點在於「觀復」，「觀復」則能「知常」，同樣的，「虛靜」復有治術上的強 調意含，「嗇」談的是一種「早服」與「蓄積」亦即「圖其根然後營末」之意；「無為」是 < 老子 > 政治思想的主要概念，呈現出四個面向的開展；< 老子 > 的政治思想正是在這些 概念的連結下，試圖形塑一個「道治」的秩序。

　　　　　<Lao Tsu> ,as the most important text of Taoist School in pre-Ch'in times, was undoubtedly written down for political discourse. We can analyze the political thought of <Lao Tsu> by discussing several concepts. Fist of all, “ tao ” has the meaning of “ being ” as well as “ application ”. The former also denotes “ origin ”,the latter “ rule ” or “ the way ”. There is somewhat “ negative thinking ” in <Lao Tsu> which emerges from the concepts “ Fan ” (opposition then return) and “ Ruo ” (weakness). These two concepts deal with the action (or doing) of tao-to dispel (“ sun ” - 損 ). In the discourse of <Lao Tsu>, to dispel means to weaken the influence of power (in a broad sense)and to return to “ the way ”. The concepts “ xiu ” (void, emptiness) and “ jing ” (still, on its own) emphasize the understanding of motion and the comprehension of the holly normal- “ ch'ang ” (常 ). By the understanding and comprehension, they also exemplify the skills to rule. “ Se ” has the significance to restrain or to prepare. By comparison with “ xiu ” and “ jing ”, “ se ” has somehow dialectically the positive implication. “ Non-action ”, being the most important concept in <Lao Tsu>, unfolds itself from four dimensions which reveal the spectrum of political doings. The political thought of <Lao Tsu> claims a balanced and harmonious order that can be built by the meaningful connection amid the concepts talked above. Owing to this perspective, we may name the constructed order of <Lao Tsu> as “ tao-chih ” order (to rule of tao).