Confucianism VS Taoism



Confucianism and Taoism are composed of the belief that heaven and earth both coexist on the same playing field. That such an ultimate existence does not necessarily lye in a place, but rather within humanity itself. Confucius’ purpose was primarily to instill order within his neighboring states and ultimately the whole world. He believed that if human beings acknowledged the fact that one should act in a proper fashion despite ones natural instincts, it would be possible to create a habit of proper conduct. Confucius believed that an efficient way of instilling such etiquette would be to pass down old traditions carried out from an era in which selfish acts were never of concern. That through traditional teachings from one generation to the next, proper values can be used as the foundation for cultivating a civilized society. Ultimately Confucianism consisted of reforming an uncivilized society as a whole and noticing how each individual has an important impact on how society is reformed. Taoism on the other hand worked on a more independent level. Taoists focused on developing oneself and allowing nature to take its course. It emphasized that through natural action the truest form of humanity could be achieved. Taoist believed that through natural action things would naturally rectify themselves. This does make sense if one were to examine the fact that when problems exist it is in human nature to want to find a solution towards correcting the problem.  Through this idea came the Taoist’s incorporation of the Ying and the Yang symbol. This symbol would represent natures desire to create balance despite the cause of the imbalance.        

Yang and Yang
Natural Balance