Final answer:
Practicing wu wei, a Daoist concept, leads to soft action because it emphasizes effortlessness and harmony with nature, as opposed to aggressiveness and force.
Step-by-step explanation:
Practicing wu wei results in a soft style of action because it emphasizes spontaneous and effortless action that is in harmony with the natural flow of existence. The concept of wu wei, originating from Daoism and associated with Laozi, suggests a way of being that values receptivity, reserve, and adaptiveness rather than forcefulness and aggressive behavior. Instead of imposing one's will upon the world to satisfy desires, wu wei promotes an attitude of being one with the natural world, moving with the flow rather than resisting it, and being free of the desire to grasp or comprehend.
This aligns with Daoist philosophy, which favors a minimalist and non-coercive approach to life and governance, advocating for a natural, spontaneous, and immediate way of acting that reflects the dao.
The answer to the student's question is: c. wu wei emphasizes spontaneous and effortless action.