As philosophy is considered to be the science of how the world works, it is no wonder societies rely so heavily on philosophers to share their wisdom. In China, two of these philosophers in general have made a tremendous impact. Throughout Chinese eras and dynasties, China’s government has been influenced by philosophies such as Confucius’ analects. By comparing the two men, it is quite interesting to see the vast differences between the two philosophies. Confucius and Lao Tsu, despite being born around one hundred years apart, have some similarities between their philosophies but overall, are extremely different. 

Confucius was born around 551 BC to a rich family. Starting in the aristocratic class, he was heavily affected when they ran into financial troubles after his father’s death. Raised by his mother, he was lucky enough to remain in school where he would become a notable scholar. An ambitious man, Confucius dreamed of holding a government position right from his youth. Attempting to find a job, he wandered around for a little while until he decided to become a teacher. He started teaching the ideals of ethics and that every person had a certain place within society. He believed that a government needed a strict set of rules and ethics to create the best possible version of itself. A huge supporter of family and traditionality, Confucius’ verbal method of storytelling helped his students write The Analects (also known as the Lun-Yu) in which his ideas were conveyed in a philosophical way labeled as “Confucianism”. Concerning elders, the past, and the ethics on which a society should rely, China would return to its original glory. Within Confucianism, Confucius brought up several key points. First, he emphasized the importance of roles in society. Each member of a community should stick to their given rule for the benefit of everyone else. For example, a mother should focus on her duties as a mother and not try to branch off from this given path. Confucianism also acknowledged the importance of virtue. These principles were also known as Jen, Tao, and Li which translate to good, love, and reciprocity. Jen, Tao, and Li are known to have several meanings, but it is widely concluded that they pertain to his general ideas of perfection within a society. While this idea of strict rules and ethics was appealing to some, many (including rulers) did not like the philosophy of Confucius. The human desire for power and greed deterred many from supporting the ideals. Despite being offered government positions, Confucius had grown to disrespect these roles and focused on his teachings. Confucius died around 479 BC shortly after one of his favorite students died. It is rumored that Confucius was so heart-broken and distraught that this death led to his own. Even though he was no longer alive, Confucianism lived on after his death. Worshipped and praised, new philosophers such as Mencius adapted the original ideas to fit the current society better. While Taoism creator Lao Tsu (also known as Laozi) was also known for trying to improve China’s budding society with his philosophies, he was vastly different from Confucius. 

Laozi’s (Lao Tsu) date of birth is thought to be around 604 BC making him around 100 years off from Confucius. Little is known about Laozi’s early life so a lot of myth and legacy fills in these gaps. One of these myths is that Laozi was born as a wise and gray-haired man. As this is impossible, it is more logical that his early life was relatively insignificant until he started spreading his teachings and forming the philosophies that surround Taoism. Copies of his book Dao De Jing were discovered on bamboo strips which enabled historians to piece together his beliefs. Many consider Taoism to be a rebuttal towards the strict Confucian rules as it focuses on balance rather than ethical obligations. Taoism allowed followers to follow their natural life path. Putting self-contemplation above everything else, the material worth was considered insignificant and distracting from the beauty of life. Turning into a religion, followers were deeply devoted to the spirituality associated with the philosophy. Similar to Buddhism, Taoists could reach enlightenment with the properties of Dao (one’s internal energy). Additionally, Taoists are encouraged to go about life at a natural pace and follow three main virtues; compassion, moderation, and humility. By following these principles, one can become more united with their Dao and reach their full potential benefitting society. Interestingly enough, Taoism and Confucianism both have three main principles that followers are encouraged to follow. While the two philosophies have this in common, they also have several differences. 

Overall, Confucianism and Taoism are extremely different despite their similarities. Taoism is notable for encouraging followers to follow their natural path while Confucianism has an emphasis on improving society. Most similarly, the two philosophies both have three main points. In Taoism, this is compassion, moderation, and humility. While going through life, Taoists are encouraged to follow these principles to reach their full potential and enlightenment. In Confucianism, these principles are good, love, and reciprocity. Each of these principles focuses on the benefit of other people, however, these Confucian values are focusing on Chinese society and values. Love pertains to one’s family and how one must respect their elders. Good is about the natural duties followers must complete including sticking to their profession and given lifestyle. Reciprocity relates to the idea of fairness within a community and how everyone has a role to play. But in Taoism, the ideals of compassion, moderation, and humility are oriented towards one another and one’s self. Which brings up the biggest difference between the two philosophers. Confucius wanted his students to focus on improving their society and following a strict ethical set of values while Lao Tsu believed in focusing on one’s self and self-contemplation. In Confucianism, material value was utilized to help China move along- while Confucius did not approve of these corrupt kings (believing that they could be removed by the Gods if they did not follow a rightful path), he acknowledged that this material wealth was needed for China to prosper. On the other hand, Lao Tsu encouraged his students to renounce materialism as it led to excessive greed and selfishness. The two philosophies are a game of practicality vs. impracticality. Taoism was not as long-lasting due to this. Since it was less strict and did not fit in as well with the structured government, it quickly died out. As Confucius' philosophy did have a set structure, it was able to be picked up again and again by philosophers and added on to. Finally, there is one more difference between the two philosophies. Confucius was against the addition of religion to his philosophy. Even though he rose to a godly status after his death, he believed that his philosophy should stand on its own. Diversely, Lao Tsu’s Taoism soon became religious. The idea of reaching enlightenment is always associated with divinity. So it is not surprising that this is the case with Taoism as well. Taoists soon incorporated religion into philosophy, unlike Confucianism. While this does not seem that significant, the addition of God's and religious aspects (such as religious buildings) took away from the overall philosophy uniting followers with ideals of devotion and community. Concludingly, Confucius has many differences and similarities. But overall, the differences define the philosophies and make them what they were many years ago. 

Philosophy is a tool utilized by cultures of all kinds to make the world seem less estranged and ominous. With this, governments and societies rely heavily on these philosophies to help set rules and guidelines for how people should act. This idea is no different from Confucianism and Taoism. China’s society was largely impacted by these two philosophies, to the point where culture was changed forever. For example, the Chinese still rely heavily on family roles and respect today. But why is this important? How can a mere set of guidelines and rules be that impactful? In a world in which people are led astray by modern distractions, it is vital to look back at one's roots. By understanding how today's society has been shaped and works, the world is a little easier to navigate. With this, new creative solutions can be created for the contemporary world using some of these basic philosophies. 

Citation Page

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"Confucius." Ancient Civilizations Reference Library, edited by Judson Knight and Stacy A. McConnell, UXL, 2000. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2173110048/SUIC?u=nort67024&sid=SUIC&xid=210b6210. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.
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"Laozi." World Religions Reference Library, edited by Julie L. Carnagie, et al., vol. 4: Biographies, UXL, 2007, pp. 203-209. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3448400066/SUIC?u=nort67024&sid=SUIC&xid=262b61ee. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.