The green and digital transitions are reshaping the global economy, requiring new human capital paradigms that move beyond technical skills and instrumental, metric-driven models. This paper reimagines human capital development through the Daoist classic Zhuangzi, which critiques rigid categorization and promotes spontaneity, perspectival flexibility, and harmony with change. Rather than viewing human capital as a fixed set of skills, Zhuangzi offers a model focused on adaptability, ethical humility, and intuitive responsiveness. Through a structured hermeneutic analysis of the text, we derive a conceptual framework organized around five core capacities: adaptive learning, ethical humility, embodied and intuitive skill, relational attunement, and frugality-oriented judgment, which are positioned as foundational to an enhanced intellectual capital framework that prioritizes dynamic, relational, and sustainability-oriented capabilities. These traits align with systems thinking, participatory governance, and frugal innovation in green and digital contexts. The paper proposes a Zhuangzi-inspired framework for education and policy, emphasizing metacognitive awareness, narrative pedagogy, and the integration of philosophical inquiry into technical training. Zhuangzi, far from being a historical curiosity, serves as a vital guide in modern discussions on sustainability, automation, and human development. It encourages a shift from control-based models to those grounded in trust, simplicity, and ethical awareness. Daoist thought provides a philosophical compass for fostering a more resilient, humane, and context-responsive approach to human capital. Through an illustrative application on digital environmental monitoring, the paper demonstrates how the framework reframes competence as cultivated responsiveness rather than technical control. By connecting ancient philosophy with modern sustainability challenges, and directly engaging with intellectual capital theory, this paper positions Zhuangzi as a key resource in reshaping human capital toward wisdom-oriented adaptability.
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.