Compare And Contrast Confucius And Lao Tzu

Annika Kammerer Xiaojing Miao CHIN 1051 March 9, 2017

CHINESE MIDTERM: Essay Question 3

Both Confucius and Lao Tzu had arguments and philosophies about the idea of governing a people, and ruling with a specific mentality. However, the two different viewpoints vary when it comes to the concept of the ideal ruler and the ruler’s subjects.

The idea of ruling with benevolence and virtue is repeated throughout the analects of Confucius. The analect phrase, ‘Guide the people by virtue (te), keep them in line with the rites (li), and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform

As a ruler, you mustn’t disrupt people’s intentions or actions, as they will do what they please. Instead, rule with inaction. The quote ‘Exterminate benevolence (ren), discard rectitude (i), and the people will again be filial’ pertains to Lao Tzu’s ideas about disturbing the balance of a state by creating too many rules and guidelines. Benevolence and rectitude encourage a specific guideline of behavior, which leads to disruption. On page 22, XVIII of the Tao Te Ching, it is stated: ‘When the great way falls into disuse, There are benevolence and rectitude, When cleverness emerges, There is great hypocrisy.’ When benevolence and rectitude exist, it is because the opposite of them exist as well. If there is good, then there must be bad in comparison. If a ruler practices and enforces rites and benevolence, it disrupts harmony and gives people the opportunity to go against the rules. Peace is restored and people are naturally filial when less is set in stone and rules are more vague and up to

Ultimately, Confucianism is about social matters and how to lead the people with rites, while Lao Tzu’s ideas stem from a more subjective view of life. For example, it is said that, ‘the Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao.’ Also, there is a distinction in Confucius and Lao Tzu’s ideas’ about identifying things. In book XIII, Tzu-lu asks Confucius, ‘If the Lord of Wei left the administration (cheng) of his state to you, who would you put first?’ Confucius answers with, ‘If something has to be put first, it is, perhaps, the rectification of names.’ Problems in a state cannot be solved until they are called by the proper name, and the importance of saying the right thing is stressed on page 118. A ruler isn’t to speak unless it is appropriate, and if he doesn’t speak the right words, then disorder will ensue as people ‘won’t know where to put hand and foot.’ This contrasts directly with ideas of Lao Tzu’s idea that less is