Is Confucianism A 'Religion?' Is Daoism?

Confucius only taught around 3,000 students during his lifetime in the Zhou Dynasty, but his ideas and values became integrated with the Chinese culture of the past and the present (Ames). He created a syllabus for mastering the “six arts” and inspired those who followed his principles to become effective citizens. Although no one knows much about his life, he greatly influence the way China grew into what it is today.

The Ancient Chinese had interesting ways of thinking. Legalism beliefs were a more negative way of thinking than the beliefs of Confucianism because if one did not believe in Legalism, they were tortured, killed, or enslaved (HB). Confucius thought more positively and he said: “Wherever you go, go with all your heart” (BrainyQuote). Confucius was the scholar and philosopher who founded Confucianism. Han Feizi introduced the beliefs of Legalism (WS). Both Confucianism and Legalism were formed in ancient China (HB). Confucianism existed from - and Legalism took place from 280-233 B.C. (WS). Although Confucianism and Legalism have some similarities, the differences between the two are clear.

Daoism, also known as Taoism, is originally a Chinese religious tradition that is centralized in living in harmony with the Tao, meaning “way”, “path”, or

Confucianism is the philosophy that would be the most stable comparing to Legalism and Daoism. First of all, the goal of Confucianism was to have a society that was peaceful and just. This means that Confucius wasn't a violent man. It shows that he wanted peace. His purpose wasn't to rule everything around him; it was the complete opposite.

Following the fall of the Han dynasty came the decline of practicers of the Confucian philosophy because of the downfall of the elite class and a centralized government. Buddhism, a religion with it’s roots from north India, has found its presence in China during the time when trade, along the silk roads, was crucial in all parts of Eurasia. Although the spread of Buddhism in China was greeted with devotion from new converts who supported the religion by spreading it and combining their cultures with the religion, it also was rejected by the ruling elite who opposed the spread of the religion that impacted China for the next following centuries.

I grow up in the country, Ethiopia, that various religions are practiced. The most known are Christianity and Islam. Even though Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism aren’t practiced in Ethiopia, I was familiar with these religions before I take the course World Religions. Huston Smith’s The World Religions gives a brief analysis of various world religions beliefs, concept, and practice. From my reading of Smith 's book, I learn how different religions are varied in their worship and their view about nature. I also get an opportunity to understand religions which I have never heard before. Unless I observe the jewelry stores, I don’t have any clue about whether the symbol is religious or not. Taoism is one of them that impressed me the value it gives

Religions of the same geographic origins tend to have similar codes of behavior and reasons that people exist today. A person traveling through the many regions of Asia may encounter the many religions and the beliefs of each religion. South Asia includes the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism, and East Asia has the religions of Confucianism and Taoism. South and East Asia’s religions focus more on the life around a follower and the path he chooses to take. These religions are centered around acceptable behaviors in the religion. Southwest Asia has the religions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. These religions believe there is only one god, and that god rules over his followers lives. These religions tend to relate more commonly

There are many major religions in the world, one of them being Buddhism. Buddhism is a religion founded in India around the fifth century C.E. Throughout time, it made its way to China. While in China, Buddhism was viewed by the people in many ways, both positive and negative.

The principles of yang and yin are one of the oldest and most fundamental concepts in the Chinese philosophy that date back to the 3rd century BCE or earlier. According to this principle, each and every substance in the world has an inseparable and contradictory opposite like old-young, female-male, dark-light etc. The two opposites are said to attract and complement each other and that the core of each substance contains the element of the opposite.

With the birth of their civilization, the ancient Chinese wanted to know what role human beings played within society and the universe as a whole? This question and many others help develop the “hundred schools” of ancient philosophy. In the beginning of Chinese civilization, they believed that the universe comprised of two primary energies, good and evil, light and dark, male and female. In other words, everything had an opposite and finding the balance would lead to a prosperous life and ultimately a prosperous society. Three “schools of thought” were born to figure out this balance. Confucianism, Legalism, and Daoism. Although, each are different in their beliefs, they each had the common goal of wanting to achieve harmony in their society and the universe.

Daoism and Confucianism are very different philosophies. The thought of the two ruling together is very hard and unrealistic to imagine, but not impossible. Both believe in very basic morals such as, not stealing, cheating, lying, or killing. They also believe in treating people well. Daoism strongly believes every living thing including bugs are equal. Confucianism believes that people eventually with following Confucianism beliefs and becoming a gentleman then you are perfect and equal to everyone.

Doaism and Confucianism are the top two ancient styles of living in China, where they both originated in 550 B.C.E (before common era). I believe that Daoism and Confucianism are both the top religions/styles of living in Ancient China, while they have some similarities they are much more different than they are similar. Both are not only ways of living but, they are a way of life.

Dao in Confucianism represents the entire normative human order. The Dao in Daoism antedates Tian and acts as the basis of the natural order. While in Confucian Dao they hold the ideal political-social-ethical order ordained by tian for the people. Confucianism encourages their perfectibility through self-effort the teaching of ethics and good movement. The primacy of the Confucian Dao requires superior human beings, sages and men of virtue to exert their highest effort to actualized its ideal design. While the Daoist purpose as the pro creator of the cosmos and everything in it to recognize the universal importance of the human body, physical

Taoism is an indigenous chinese religion and a philosophy which has roots from ancient shamanism. It has lived through centuries in China as a religion aside Confucianism and Buddhism and as a philosophy aside Confucianism. As a philosophy it is mainly the opposite of Confucianism, because Confucianism praised laws and order but Taoism is more about people having minimal restrictions in order to live happily. The Taoist religion was created from the Taoist philosophy and as a philosophy and religion it has had a huge influence in China and in eastern Asia. Although, as a religion it would outline all the seven dimensions it is debatable if it is more of a philosophy. Taoism’s open-mindedness has kept it almost original and unchanged

Chinese women suffer from the unfair notion for thousands of years. The basic requirements of being virtuous women are “Three Obediences and Four Virtues (三从四德)”. The “Three Obediences” were “obey your father before marriage (未嫁从父); obey your husband when married (既嫁从夫); and obey your sons in widowhood (夫死从子)”. And the “Four Virtues” were “Female virtues (妇德)”, “Female words (妇言)”, “Female appearances (妇容)” and “Female work (妇功)”. (Sun, 2015). The three obediences and four virtues occurred in ancient China society. It is a set of basic moral principle for women in Confucian. These instructions first appeared in the “Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial” and in the “Rites of Zhou.” (Kelleher, 2005) to describe traditional ceremonial and behavior.