King Zhuang of Chu and Sun Shu’ao A Model of Natural Civilization in Governance

English Abstract The political practices of King Zhuang of Chu and Sun Shu’ao represent a rare “natural civilization governance paradigm” in ancient Chinese political history. Based on Laozi’s philosophy and the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology, this paper employs a three-part structure—philosophical interpretation, historical analysis, and comprehensive discussion—to systematically examine their political model. The study demonstrates that King Zhuang exercised power restraint according to “Heaven follows the Dao,” while Sun Shu’ao implemented governance by non-interference according to “Humans follow the Earth.” Their cooperation established a low-entropy, self-organizing, and ecologically balanced governance system. The proposed “Natural Civilization Political Model” not only elucidates the success logic of Chu’s governance but also provides a philosophical and practical framework for addressing modern civilization’s challenges, including power expansion, social entropy increase, and ecological crises.