Similarities And Differences Between Legalism And Legalism

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It has been said that Legalism takes after Daoism, borrowing some of its well-known ideas such as non-action or the usefulness of being empty. Though Legalism is typically grouped with the other early Chinese philosophers, it is actually quite a different system. Han Feizi’s Basic Writings, an exemplary text of Legalism, is aimed at how to successfully run an empire, and caters to one person in particular: the ruler. On the other hand, writings like the Dao de Jing are aimed more towards the individual and are personable. Still, it’s interesting to note that both texts talk about what it takes to be a good leader. In examining relations between Laozi’s Dao De Jing and Hand Feizi’s Basic Writings, one can extract both similarities and differences between Legalism and Daoism when it comes to how a leader should govern. Daoism and Legalism are similar in the fact that they both believe the leader should practice non-action and emptiness, believe that there should be a natural …show more content…

The famous opening passage for the second section of the Dao De Jing (“The ways that can be walked are not the eternal Way…Mystery of mysteries, The gate of all wonders” (Laozi 59)) establishes the reverence of the Way and also explains that one of the things that makes the Way so great is the fact that it is enigmatic. It suggests that anything worth worshiping cannot be something that is completely understandable by the layperson. It would then follow that the emperor, Son of Heaven, would also need that air of mysteriousness about him in order to command any respect. According to the Dao De Jing, “the sage withdraws himself but comes to the fore, alienates himself but is always present”(Laozi 66), and has “no desire to display his worth”(Laozi 53). It goes on to explain in a later section that supremacy comes when a ruler’s subject barely knows he exists (Laozi

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