Molly asked:

Can you please tell me the major differences between Taoism and Confucianism?

and Manny asked:

What was Lao Tzu's view of life and what was Confucius' view?

============

Taoism and Confucianism are two major theories on Chinese culture. The major views of
Confucianism are:

*
Encourage learning; urge school attendance, learning and thought are all important, learning without
thought is labor lost.

*Eclecticism of social relation, the golden mean (of the Confucian school), the doctrine of the mean.

*Stick up for social class; abide by the law and behave oneself; act proper to one's status; behave
discreetly; know one's place.

The major views of Taoism are:

*
The meaning Tao is a great law of universe, is a fundamental law of nature.

*
Pay attention to the rule and methodology of the movement and change of things. Such as the theory
of Yin and yang, the two opposing principles in nature, the former feminine and negative and the
latter masculine and positive; the theory of five elements; five elements of metal, wood, water, fire
and earth.

*
Nothingness (nihility or chaos) is fontal, is important, make something out of nothing; be purely
fabricated.

Taoism and Confucianism are similar in that the purpose of both these theories is the outlook on life.
They are both for a kind of social class and social relation. The purpose is to make a kind of social
structure of agriculture. The purpose is not on nature, not science.

As a theory of outlook on life, outlook on society, Confucianism pays more attention to ethics, but
Taoism pays attention to world outlook and methodology. Confucianism does not have the universal
outlook. Confucianism is more popular in common people. In Chinese feudalism, a tradition has been
formed, that is, a kind of theory of social ethic to replace religion. Taoism is more popular amongst
monarchs and intellectuals. Taoism and Confucianism are usually united, and used to govern those
common people. On the view of life, Confucianism is more conservative. But Taoism is propitious for
one who competes with others, or one who rules others. Both Taoism and Confucianism are very
pragmatic. They are all not environmentalist.

On the side of positive (forward-looking), the theory of Confucianism is good for the cooperation of
oneself with others, the theory of Taoism is a kind of intelligence of the superman. On the side of
negative, a Chinese thinker Lu Xun said, Chinese traditional theory means two words, "eat human".

I don't know whether you enjoy my explanation.

Chen Ping

Philosophy Times

It's not at all certain whether the traditional master of Taoism, Lao-Tzu, whose name means
something like 'Ancient-Sage' ever existed or not. If he did, it was some time around 570 BC though
the text of his magnum opus the Tao Te Chingvery likely dates from the third century BC. Its 81
chapters of sublime proverbs and commentary attempt to describe the characteristics of the Tao,a
term which is sometimes translated as 'The Way' but is more properly not translated at all, as its
primary characteristic is that it is not describable. It is the essence of the creative harmony which
underlies the universe:

The Tao is hidden, and has no name; but it is the Tao which has skill to make all things
complete (41:3).

In order to come to an understanding of Taoand so to live a harmonious life, the eager scholar must
try to unweave themselves from their assumptions and social conditioning:

Pursuing learning, something is acquired every day. Pursuing Tao, it is dropped (48:1).

In this way the Lao-Tzu's view is essentially hedonistic, directed at improving the individual rather
than society, at gaining personal understanding of one's place in the universe.

Confucius (don't forget to point out to everyone that 'Confucius' is a shoddy western version of his
name. In real China he is 'Kung-Tzu', Kung-the-Sage) is rather a more substantial figure, both in
person and in his philosophy. He was born in 551 BC in what is now the Shangdong province, of a
modest family, and worked as a minor government official, then as a teacher. Firstly, by editing and
formalizing the ancient Chinese books of ritual and wisdom (the Spring and Summer Annals, the
Book of Songsetc.) he has come to be seen by later generations as the authorof those books and,
as such, the founder of the Eastern way of thinking. Secondly, and more importantly here, his own
philosophy is remarkable for its ingenuity and for its influence on the whole development of the
Chinese State.

Confucius — sorry, I mean Kung-Tzu — may be said to have solvedethics. He defined 'right
behaviour' not as an answer to the question 'what should I do', but in terms of 'who do I owe a duty
to', mediated through minute observance of established manners and ritual (Li). Once you know who
you owe duty to, right behaviour is simply to do what the-person-you-owe-duty-to wants. Who this is,
is defined in the 'Five Relationships'; Ruler—Subject, Parent—Child, Husband—Wife, Older
Sibling—Younger Sibling, and Friend—Friend. When dilemmas arise, reciprocal consideration (Shu),
loyalty (Chung) and the all-encompassing goodness (Jen) of a right-minded government can find the
proper route. For more than 2,000 years Chinese political administration, social organization, and
individual conduct was officially shaped by Confucian principles, until 1912 when Confucian
philosophy, as a basis for government, was dropped by the state.

Lao-Tzu is concerned principally with the individual, whereas Confucius directs his attention to the
relationships between one person and the next and to the perfecting of society. Taoism is also
characterised by a strong strand of mystical metaphysics and is thoroughly opposed to conventional
learning, whereas Confucianism is distinctly agnostic and strongly in favour of education, especially in
the Chinese classics. Lao-Tzu's understanding is open to everyone, but imperious Confucius thought
only the gentleman-philosopher is able to understand. But this does not mean that the two traditions
are in opposition. The one "within society" and the other "beyond society" are generally considered to
complement and balance each other, in the same way that the interplay of the two opposing central
principles, Yinand Yang(to which both traditions subscribe) are necessary for all action. It is
sometimes said that China is Confucian in public and Taoist in private.

The fact that there are temples devoted to Confucius and to Taoism shouldn't lead the westerner to
think that they are religions in the sense that we use the term in Europe. No-one in China 'worships'
Kung-Tzu, or Lao-Tzu, (or their own ancestors for that matter) in the Western way of falling down
before an omniscient being and doing absolute homage. The ancient sages are formally remembered
with reverence, but they are not worshipped.

There was a brief, and rather half-hearted anti-Confucius campaign in China from 1974 to 1976. But,
though Marx and Mao may have supplanted Kung-Tzu as the official state philosopher, Confucius
remains the sage known and quoted by young and old alike, while Lao-Tzu's exposition of the way to
the Taois the glue that holds together the mish-mash of folk beliefs which constitute Chinese religion.

Glyn Hughes

Taoism is based more on being in harmony with nature, while Confucianism stresses a harmony with
society and family.

An ultimate goal for Confucianism is something like heaven. A goal for Taoists is finding the Tao,
which is like the essence of all things or the origin of all things.

Taoists are concerned with attaining immortality, physically and spiritually. Confucianists find
contentment in living a moral and prosperous life.

Taoists have no real religious institutions while the Confucian religion has institutions like the
government, family, and school.

Laurie Stiegemeyer