Comparing Confucianism And Taoism

In the 6th century, two distinguished and influential philosophical systems emerged in China: Confucianism and Taoism. These philosophies surged into traditional Chinese society, and left a mark that would last thousands of years. Throughout history, Confucianism and Taoism have provided individuals with moral and ethic doctrines that can influence everyday life. Both of these philosophies have provided followers with distinct guidelines on how to live out ones life and deal with specific social matters. These two schools of thought, although different, often complement each others values. Although the teachings of Confucianism and Taoism present particular ideals of individual behavior in society, one may need a combination of both teachings

Unlike Confucianism, Taoism places an emphasis on following the “Way” (dao) and “Virtue” (de), instead of focusing on humanism and society. Both the Daodejing and Zhuangzi outline Taoist philosophy, and provide Taoist followers with examples on how to live, like the Analects. Also, Taoist followers were Confucianism critics due to the vast number of differences between the two philosophies. In opposition to Confucius, Lao Tzu rejected the idea of societal hierarchies and the idea that people needed to fulfill specific roles in society. Taoist teachings also differed from Confucianism, because while Confucius stressed rules and order, Lao Tzu stated that there is a lessened need for rules and order. Taoists believe that the only way to escape from war and corrupt political agendas is to retreat away from society and embrace the harmony of nature. They also believed that a ruler should be “…but a shadowy presence to his subjects” (1349). This phrase helps demonstrate that Taoism advocated for a government with minimal power, so that individuals could live a passive life. However, in contrast, Confucius often encouraged individuals to participate in society and recommended that they get involved with the government. Taoist also viewed the government as unnatural and believed that a government with minimal power would be the best to rule. While Confucianism dwells on societal relationships, Taoism concerns itself with the search for meaning. In Taoism, one is able to improve themselves by becoming one with nature. Taoist also did not believe it was possible to become a “superior” person and strayed away from “non-natural” variations, such as good and bad. As stated in Daodejing, “Exterminate the sage, discard the wise, And the people will benefit a hundredfold; Exterminate benevolence, discard rectitude, And the people will again be filial”