Taoism and Confucianism
Whatever the truth, Taoism and Confucianism have to be seen side-by-side as two distinct responses to the social, political and philosophical conditions of life two and a half millennia ago in China. Whereas Confucianism is greatly concerned with social relations, conduct and human society, Taoism has a much more individualistic and mystical character, greatly influenced by nature.In Lao Tzu's view things were said to create "unnatural" action (wei) by shaping desires (yu). The process of learning the names (ming) used in the doctrines helped one to make distinctions between good and evil, beautiful and ugly, high and low, and "being" (yu) and "non- being" (wu), thereby shaping desires. To abandon knowledge was to abandon names, distinctions, tastes, and desires. Thus spontaneous behavior (wu-wei) resulted ( Wing - Tsit Chan 136, 791). Contemplating the remarkable natural world Lao Tzu felt that it was man and his activities, which constituted a blight on the otherwise perfect order of things. Thus he counseled people to turn away from the folly of human pursuits and to return to one's natural wellspring (Wing - Tsit Chan 148, 141-142, 163, 169) The five colors cause one's eyes to be blind.
Tao invariably takes no action, and yet there is nothing left undone. It is only those who do not seek after life that excel in making life valuable. Racing and hunting cause one's mind to be mad. In the view of some scholars, Confucius will be revered in the future as China's greatest teacher; Confucian classics will be studied, and Confucian virtues, embodied for countless generations in the familiar sayings and common-sense wisdom of the Chinese people, will remain the cornerstone of ethics. Simplicity, which has no name, is free of desires. Goods that are hard to get injure one's activities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The people take death lightly because their ruler strives for life too vigorously.
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Approximate Word count = 829
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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