Based on historical facts, this paper briefly expounds the positive role of Taoist political thought in China's traditional social governance

Taoist philosophy influenced the development of ancient philosophy in China. In the history of China, Taoist philosophy was sometimes transformed and inherited by some important figures of unofficial Confucianism, such as Yang Xiong, Huan Tan and Wang Chong in the Han Dynasty. Sometimes it is collected by official Confucianism, such as Neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties; Sometimes it is misinterpreted by folk Confucianism, doing the opposite and cutting and dyeing at will. Although it once became the official philosophy or ruling trend of thought of an era, such as Huang Lao Xue in the early Han Dynasty and metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties. In addition, Taoist philosophy has deeply influenced the development of China's Taoist and Buddhist philosophies. Taoism respects Laozi as an old gentleman, takes the Tao Te Ching as the basic classic of Taoism, takes Zhuangzi as the true classic of Nanzong, and demonstrates the immortal way of Taoism with the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi, thus establishing the religious philosophy system of Taoism. Buddhist Prajna in Jin Dynasty is the product of the combination of Buddhism and metaphysics.

Taoism originated from Laozi in the late Spring and Autumn Period. Laozi was the first person who questioned religion and opposed superstition.

Ancient Taoism advocated nature, with dialectical factors and atheistic tendencies, but advocated quietness and opposed struggle. Sima Tan, the father of Sima Qian, commented on ancient Taoism, which was easier to do than to know, with less work and more success.

Among the pre-Qin philosophers, Taoism did not have as many disciples as Confucianism and Mohism, and its status was not as lofty as Confucianism and Mohism. However, with the development of history, Taoism shows eternal value and vitality in philosophy with its unique understanding of the universe, society and life.

In the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu put forward the policy of "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone", and no longer followed Taoist thought. Since then, Taoism has escaped into the undercurrent of unofficial scholarship, but it continues to play an important role in promoting the development of China's ancient thoughts.

Metaphysics in Wei and Jin Dynasties is the most obvious revival trend of thought. The demise of the Han Dynasty caused the collapse of Confucian belief. Even so, in order to gain the dominant position, the Confucian scholars at that time maliciously tampered with the words of Laozi and Zhuangzi, which can be found in the Notes of Zhuangzi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty collected by the Japanese Palace. Deliberately destroying the order of its chapters and sentences has had an almost fatal impact on Taoism. The scientific works of life essays, which were originally easy to understand, became obscure and mysterious, and the words were secretly mixed with the Confucian theory of heaven and ghosts, which kept silent, gave in, abandoned martial arts, helped the poor, satirized the vulgar and praised Confucian scholars. Fundamentally disintegrated Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi's love for orthodoxy. It seriously misled the values of intellectuals who lost confidence in Confucianism and turned to Taoism.

In the end, it destroyed the contention of a hundred schools of thought and realized the unity of Yang Dao and Yin Confucianism. There is a famous proverb in the west, "It's no use crying when the milk is broken", and it is an indestructible truth that what is lost cannot be found back.