Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism Essay - 1175 Words

Amidst the chaos of political instability and constant warring of the Zhou era, arose many intellectual thinkers that brought such a profound impact in the fields of politics, religion, and philosophy. Even to this day, their influence can be seen on the many matters of China. Confucianism became the paramount school of thinking and later significant philosophies such as Daoism and Legalism gained immense recognition as well. Each party had their own proposals for creating an idealistic political society where the many problems they faced in their everyday lives could be eliminated. All three approaches were very distinct but at the same time, they contained similarities as well. In my reasoning, I find that Confucianism and Daoism†¦show more content†¦Even though the two systems had different concepts about the way, the common denominator of both schools was to achieve total harmony in society. Confucianism focuses mainly on social order while Daoism puts its central; focus on being one with the nature. If an individual can practice five things anywhere in the world, he is a man of humanity...reverence, generosity, truthfulness, diligence and kindness (Ebrey 19). Confucius gentleman has to possess these fine qualities to achieve success. On the other side of the token, Daoism emphasized the need for similar entities. Laozi explains: For minds, the depth is good. In social relations, human-heartedness is good. In speaking, the trustworthiness is good. In government order is good (Ebrey 28). Both systems, through through different approaches, promote peace and goodwill among the family, society and with neighboring states. Both Confucianism and Daoism accept the presence of a supernatural entity but do not provide a clear explanation on it. Both thought systems consider it mostly as a mystery that the human mind cannot fully comprehend or alter. Confucius put great importance in conducting numerous rituals for various occasions. He found it to be an essential part for the well being of society. He said, when superiors love ritual, the people are easy to direct (Ebrey 22). Xunzi provides aShow MoreRelatedConfucianism, Daoism, and Legalism976 Words   |  4 Pagesvariety of methods – Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism to name a few. Each philosophy had its own set of rules of how people should act both in public and privately. The overall goal of each philosophy was to set a standard of acceptable living that would ensure harmony and success for the society. However, each was different and thus had different results. The best way for the people of China to succeed in a harmonious, respectable society occurred when both Confucianism and Legalism were combined. 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