關鍵字: 道法自然；義理；自然觀；現代性

Abstract: The concept of "Dao" is the core of Laozi's *Tao Te Ching*, and "Dao follows nature" (道法自然), originating from the *Tao Te Ching*, serves as the central proposition of Laozi's philosophy. After more than 2,000 years of interpretation and reconstruction, it has formed multiple meanings interwoven with cosmology, ontology, and practical theory. This article unfolds from three dimensions: "Dao models itself on nature," "the law of Dao is inherently natural," and "adhering to spontaneity." By integrating textual analysis, commentaries, and comparisons between Chinese and Western philosophies, it systematically analyzes the uniqueness of the Daoist concept of "nature" (自然). This concept is neither the physical world external to Dao nor the objective laws of mechanism, but rather the innate self-transforming state of all things ("自己而然"—self-so spontaneity). Through revealing the essence of Dao's adherence to nature, the inherent naturality of Dao's laws, and the practical implications of "adhering to spontaneity" in personal cultivation, political philosophy, and ecological ethics, this study aims to demonstrate the theoretical depth of this proposition as the cornerstone of Chinese philosophical naturalism and its enlightening significance for modern challenges and dilemmas.

Key words: "Dao Follows Nature"; righteous principles; concept of nature; modernity