《老子》的存在論以「道」與「萬物」的二世界論，以及兩者之支配與被支配關係為特徵。在此二世界論中，「靜」的存在論涵義指的是，包括人類在內的萬物在展開生命活動之後復歸於「道」的狀態。由於「道」之狀態呈現為「靜」，所以要求聖人或君主都應通過「靜」，即「無為」的修養方式來認識與體會「道」。當這種「靜」觀念被用於政治領域，從而帶有一種「容、公」的涵義時，「靜」則成為賦予統治者與被統治者之間支配與被支配關係的正當性根據；而「靜」本身所包含的「謙遜」涵義，亦成為處理國際關係中大國與小國之間支配與被支配關係的正當性根據。

The characteristic features of Laozi’s ontology include the dualism of the “Way” and “Things” and the domination of the former over the latter. Within this dualism, stillness (jing 靜), one of the key-concepts that typically relates itself with the feminine, ontologically implies that all things including the human being return to the way after the end of their life-cycle. Because the way that the world exists is as such, Laozi urges people (ideally the sage, in practice the ruler) to cultivate emptiness and stillness, viz. the cultivation of becoming aware and embodying the “Way” through the means of inaction (wuwei 無為), which is the cessation of all physical and spiritual activities. When stillness is applied to the realm of politics, as well as inaction, it also connotes the notion of “tolerance” (rong 容) and “fairness” (gong 公). This in turn, legitimatizes the superior and inferior relationship between the ruler and the ruled. At the same time, it becomes a foundation for the doctrines of social divison of labor and the ensuring of opportunities, prominent doctrines in the Laozi. Moreover, when stillness implicates the notion of modesty, in international relations, it becomes the basis of legitimatizing the domination of the powerful state over the weak.