The basic attitudes of Taoists towards social politics can be termed "cold-eyed but warm-hearted",and thus they seem estranged from actual politics.Official historian and recluse by origin,Taoists always remain aloof from what happens in social political reality.Their cold-eyedness finds its vivid expression in Laozi’s quietude,Zhuangzi’s indifference and Huang-Lao School’s composedness.However,what coexists with the cold eye in Taoists is the warm heart — their concern and anxiety about the society,indignation at the realistic corruption,and sharp criticism of propriety-music culture’s alienation.Therefore,Taoist "cold-eyedness" and "warm-heartedness" is on the surface contradiction,but in essential complement;their conduct of non-cooperation is a marvelous combination of over-participation with political indifference.Finally,what cold-eyedness and warm-heartedness display is Taoists’pursuit of an ideal world governed by Tao rather than escape from political reality.
