From the “Dark Forest” to “Dao Follows Nature”: A Comparative Study of The Three-Body Problem and the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology

Amid the rapid development of high-risk technologies such as artificial intelligence, nuclear technology, and bioengineering, human civilization is entering a phase of systemic instability. Understanding the evolutionary logic of technological civilization and its potential collapse mechanisms has become a central issue in contemporary philosophy of science and civilization studies. Liu Cixin’s science fiction work The Three-Body Problem, centered on the “Dark Forest” theory, constructs a civilization-pessimistic model dominated by survival competition and technological deterrence, exerting profound influence on modern technological society. Meanwhile, the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology attempts to integrate Laozi’s philosophy with modern cosmology to propose a civilization evolution framework based on embedded negative feedback and self-restraint, emphasizing system equilibrium and long-term sustainability. This study employs complex systems theory and comparative philosophy to systematically analyze and contrast the civilization model in The Three-Body Problem with the Lao-Yang Genesis Cosmology. The findings indicate that the “Dark Forest” paradigm rests on extreme distrust and zero-sum game assumptions, resulting in high instability and self-reinforcing risks. By contrast, a natural-constraint civilization structure grounded in “Dao Follows Nature” demonstrates unique systemic advantages in long-term stability and risk mitigation. The study further proposes that viewing civilization as a designable complex engineering system constitutes a vital theoretical direction for addressing future technological risks. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between science-fictional narratives and real-world technological governance, offering new philosophical and systems-theoretical perspectives for AI safety, nuclear management, and global civilization governance.