Taoism as a Philosophy and as a Religion

It was sufficient for Confucius that every separate should do what ought to be done, extending one's self on behalf of others without each consider-ation of whether any mortalal advantage could be gained (69).

In Taoism the understanding of Taoism as a philosophy and Taoism as a religion is essential. Tao ki know as the Taoist school understood Taoism as a philosophy teaching the article of belief of following nature. In contrast, Tao chiao known as Taoist religion preached a doctrine of working against nature (3). fit to Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu life sentence followed by death is nature's course, a fact to be accepted (3). other early Taoist Yang Chu observed that it was best to preserve one's life and maintain what was genuine in it, "not every(prenominal)owing things to entangle one's person" (61). Although Yang Chu's thought has sometimes been associated with hedonism, later scholars have repudiated this claim (61).

Mo Tzu (479-381 B.C.) stands as the next major philosopher after Confucius. While make up the 53 chapters of the Mo-tzu he founded the Mohist School which opposed Confucian teachings and traditional institutions and their practices. Whereas Confucius upheld the signifi basece of the lettuce dynasty's institu-tions including their rituals, music and literature, Mo Tzu attacked their validity and rallied for their refilling with a simpler aesthetic. In this pairing, Confucius is willing to rationalize and justify the Chou dynasty in ethical terms even

Before Confucianist thought only the nobles of a given land were to be ruled by li. The peasants were to be regulated by punishment. Again revolutionary in their vision, Confucianist thinkers argued that all should be governed by li and that this former dividing principle of class distinction should be abandoned (165). The Legalists held that the principle of li itself should be jettisoned, allowing instead that all people be governed by a system of laws found almost exclusively on ripostes and punishments. The Legalists again appear as realists while the Confucianists seem to be idealists (165).

as Mo Tzu adopts a stance of severe criticism (49).

The 3rd century B.C. in China has been characterized as an era of syncretism and eclecticism (183).

Taoist and Confucianist writings were influenced by this pervasive spirits of eclecticism. Most of these writers did agree that in that respect was one absolute truth to be know and called it the Tao. Confucianists held that Confucius had known the whole truth and that all other thinkers were subordinate to him. Similarly, the Taoists do this claim for Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu (183).

Taoists and Legalists sh atomic number 18 the concept of non-activity, of doing nothing scarce having nothing which is not done (162). The Taoists contended that the self is originally innocuous while the Legalists maintained it was completely evil. The Taoists revered absolute individualistic freedom while the Legalists labored for absolute social stop (163). In contrasting the thoughts of Taoists and Legalists the two extremes of Chinese philosophy are represented even as they both shared a centralizing belief in non-action (162-163). The Taoists are skeptical that Legalists can enact the style of government they propose. The Legalist way of government demands that a ruler be unselfish and impartial. He must reward his enemies and punish his friends when it is appropriate laying aside his personal feelings. According to the Taoists, this kind
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