Comparing Confucianism And Daoism

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“Be strong yet supple, this is the way to rule.” (Lee, CTHD 2000). This quote is the perfect example of both Confucianism and Daoism. From the Analects: “Confucius said: … ‘If a ruler himself is upright, all will go well without orders. But if he himself is not upright, even though he gives orders they will not be obeyed.’ [XIII:6]” (de Bary, Confucius, 32), this implies that when one acts with virtue and responsibility, others in the community will reciprocate. From the Dao De Qing: “Since [water] is without strife, it is without reproach.” (de Bary, Taoism, 53), this means that if everyone were to listen to their intuition and take life as it comes, there is no need for blame and hate. Self regulation in East Asian societies depend of both Confucianism and Daoism. Although Daoism and Confucianism are on opposite ends of the spectrum, it is still the same spectrum of self regulation. The Daoist principles of open mindedness and oneness and the Confucian principles of virtue and kindness are shown by the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon characters Li Mu Bai, Shu Lien, Jen, and Lo. …show more content…

When one gives in to acceptance and keeps an open mind, there is a certain fluidity to life. Li Mu Bai treated the trees as an extension of himself, working with the trees, not against them. Through this he was able to defeat Jen with ease, because he was using the trees he was essentially surrounding her. Li Mu Bai was able to do this because of his Confucius mindset of discipline and hard work, as well as his Daoist mindset of going with the flow. These together is what makes a truly great martial

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