ipl-logo

The Study Of Confucianism And Daoism In China

461 Words2 Pages

Calligraphy, or an art of writing, was the visual art form prized above all others in traditional China. It was not until the Song dynasty, when painting became closely allied with calligraphy in form and technique. In addition to the central role played by the written word in traditional Chinese culture, is the distinctive visual form of the written language. The Chinese characters are dynamic, closely bound to nature and the kinesthetic energies of the human body. Calligraphy is the counterbalance of order and dynamism manifested in all aspects of Chinese writing. Calligraphy and Swordship are a connection, through the composure of writing the words and display many aspects of Confucianism and Daoism throughout. The fundamental study of …show more content…

To the Chinese, “the world consists of and operates on two great powers that are opposing in nature: yin, like a negative force in the Western terms; and yang, analogous to a positive one” (Wendan 176). These two concepts are represented in the Daoist symbol known as the Great Ultimate; the black part is yin and the white part is yang. The Great Ultimate represents duality and unity. “Yin and yang are two poles between which all manifestation takes place” (Wendan 176). There is a major difference in the metaphors of Western culture and the Chinese view of these opposites, in which oppositions are always in conflict. The Chinese view is where the two fundamentally different forces are not in opposition but in perfect harmony. “They complement each other and come together to form a whole” (Wendan 177). These two forces cannot exist without the other, while one is integral to the other. Yin and yang may appear to be different but ultimately are caused by the same energy source. “The Daoist philosophy of yin and yang and the dialectic of diversity within unity have nurtured and fundamentally determined the character of the art of calligraphy” (Wendan 178). A perfect example is the pure contrast of black writing on a plain white background. These concepts, along with wisdom, are the foundation of the aesthetics of Chinese

Show More
Related
612 Words | 3 Pages

This is the true meaning of yin and yang” (See, page 99). Yin and yang symbolize two complementary forces that can’t exist without one another and serve a greater purpose beyond the two alone. Throughout the novel it is shown that the main characters, Lily and Snow flower, genuinely struggle with knowing the reasons behind their good and bad moments. They soon realize that it’s just the way of life and there is a balance between the two.

Read More
713 Words | 3 Pages

Yin is supposed to be cold dark and mysterious while Yang is supposed to be warm and bright. The quote “shoulder Yin and embrace Yang” means that evan though there is both good and bad, you can choose to block out the bad and embrace the good. No changes must be made to the world around you that might even the slightest bit effect and change the possible future. The behavior people must follow is to act in harmony and be humble, quiet, and thoughtful. “And the one who has the way does not abide in them” (document 7).

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

Jerress C. Askew Professor Nicole Ennis History of World Civilization 1 January 27, 2018 Compare and Contrast the Origins of Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism With the birth of their civilization, the ancient Chinese wanted to know what role human beings played within society and the universe as a whole? This question and many others help develop the “hundred schools” of ancient philosophy. In the beginning of Chinese civilization, they believed that the universe comprised of two primary energies, good and evil, light and dark, male and female. In other words, everything had an opposite and finding the balance would lead to a prosperous life and ultimately a prosperous society.

Read More
844 Words | 4 Pages

The infamous Yin and Yang symbol, a balance between good and evil. There isn’t one without the other. Balance is the way it’s intended, for everything to be equal. However this is simply not accurate, nothing is perfect, the balance can tip towards any side. For some there is more light than there is darkness.

Read More
501 Words | 3 Pages

Similar to Confucius, Laozi also sought out a solution to create harmony in a world full of chaos and fragmentation. But Laozi found the solution through Daosim. The three ideas, the Dao, wuwei and yin and yang, are three key concepts in Daoism that leads to the harmony that Laozi strived for. These ideas, although created hundreds of years ago, still deeply influence Chinese thinking and culture

Read More
161 Words | 1 Pages

The elements of yin-yang principle can be found in Chinese garden design, for instance. Instead of the typical Western tendency

Read More
272 Words | 2 Pages

Daoism and Confucianism are two of the most influential ancient Chinese philosophies that emerged around the same time, over 2,500 years ago. While they share some similarities like a reverence for nature and concepts like yin and yang, their core beliefs diverge significantly. Confucianism views human beings as fundamentally good, with an innate moral sense that can be cultivated through education, rituals, and discipline. The ideal in Confucianism is the "superior person" - a morally upright, well-educated leader devoted to promoting social order and ethical conduct. Confucians take a proactive approach, believing we should work diligently to improve ourselves and society through conscious effort.

Read More
1232 Words | 5 Pages

HOW ZHANG XIAOGANG CRITICIZE THE SOCIETY THROUGH HIS ARTWORKS? ABSTRACT This article attempts to investigate different expressions that Zhang used to criticize the society. It will define that Zhang used traditional Chinese charcoal drawing aesthetic to show the subtext of his artworks in contemporary Chinese art.

Read More
586 Words | 3 Pages

For Xu Bing, calligraphy is a form of art where he can express his social and political message and the article highlights many of Xu Bing’s major work. Xu Bing significant work that involved language experimentation that Erickson analyzed was The Book from the Sky. For this art work, Xu Bing invented thousands of new characters where he used some real Chinese character components and some that are invented to create new character that looks familiar to people that can read Chinese . The general reactions was that people were in disbelieve that the text were unreadable and many people expressed emotional reactions such as sadness, oppression and wonder (5). His purpose was to evoke such feelings and portray the cultural oppression through his art work.

Read More
1113 Words | 5 Pages

His style is usually revealed naturally in his paintings and reflects the highest taste of traditional Chinese men of

Read More
735 Words | 3 Pages

According to Chinese culture, the forces that determine order are yin and yang. The basis of this concept is that everything has its opposite which maintains balance. One of most well known yin and yang pairings are life and death. Yu Hua in the novel To Live, integrates balance in order to develop a deep understanding of life exchanges. Even Fugui comes to understand this as “[he] realized how close [he had] come to being in Long Er’s shoes” (84).

Read More
952 Words | 4 Pages

Term Paper: Daoism Daoism, also known as Taoism, is originally a Chinese religious tradition that is centralized in living in harmony with the Tao, meaning “way”, “path”, or “principle”. Taoism is one of the two great philosophical and religious traditions that originated in China. In Taoism, the Tao indicates something that is both the source of, and the force behind, everything that exists. Taoism is practiced to be essentially a nontheistic religion, although some divisional communities worship the founder of the doctrine, Laozi. Daoism, along with Confucianism, branches out of an ancient religion from China that took shape no longer than 1500 B.C.E. (Brood).

Read More
1520 Words | 7 Pages

It represents the primary Taoist principles and it is meant to represent the polar opposites and that in order to achieve harmony the opposites need to be balanced. Talismans are used within Taoism with the thought of bringing good luck or to remove evil spirits. Art is also present within Taoism, such as in paintings drawings, sculptures, palaces and temples. The paintings and drawings have the goal to portray the balance and harmony within nature. Palaces and temples in another hand were built-in according to the yin and yang symbol so there would be balanced in the layout and construction.

Read More
1258 Words | 6 Pages

It can be said that opposites attract as well as complement each other. Within the religions of Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto lay harmony, respect, and ethical behavior towards nature, ancestors, oneself, and others. Although Daoism and Confucianism are native to China and Shinto to Japan, East Asian cultures integrate these religions and practices with openness and acceptance. They are the light and dark without reference to good or bad as the opposites necessitate one another. (Fisher, 2014, 201) Instead the interwoven religions of Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto compliment each other in addition to having distinct differences.

Read More
971 Words | 4 Pages

Chinese Calligraphy is not just writing to the people of China, but for hundreds of years it has been seen as a supreme form of art. The first writings were so old that they are not even written on paper. The people of China have had a special connection with their writing for over a thousand years, and for many hundred of those they have judge their artwork based off of calligraphy. All of the art work would have to be judged on something entirely

Read More

More about The Study Of Confucianism And Daoism In China

Related Topics

Open Document