Similarities Between Confucianism And Daoism

Confucianism and Daoism: Conflicting Paths to a Common Goal

While possessing similar goals, Confucianism and Daoism texts have conflicting information on how to achieve these goals. Confucianism and Daoism have some similarities such as the belief that “human fulfillment lay in harmonizing our thinking and behavior with the Way (dao)” and a refinement of the self to gain an objective (Adler, Chinese Religious Traditions, 15). Both traditions recognize that we can do better as humans. While there are similarities between these religious traditions, their written teachings have very different instruction on how to achieve the Dao. Confucianism encourages the notion of ru, which is “evoking a commitment to learning, refinement, cultural accomplishments, and the practice of rites and

music,” but the Daoist text, the Laozi, teaches that one “accomplishes things by doing nothing (wuwei)” (Confucius and the Analects, 41) (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi, 80). The primary texts for these traditions, the Analects, the Laozi, and the Zhuangzi all give clues as to what actions lead to human fulfillment.
The similarities between Confucius and Daoist traditions are quite strong despite the apparent differences in their worldview. These similarities are most likely present due to the history of the two traditions. Because “Daoism evolved as something like a harmony to the dominant melody of Confucianism in Chinese culture,” there are common thoughts on certain ideas (Adler, Chinese Religious Traditions, 15). Three of the most important shared ideas are seeking the Dao, refinement of the self, and filial devotion. While “Confucius thought that the ideal socio-ethical-political order, the Dao or Way, had been realized in the past but was now lost,” the Daoist tradition “believed in the imminent end of the world, or at least of the great part of the human community that has not undertaken worship of the way” (Adler, Chinese Religious Traditions, 14) (Later Daoism and Mahayana Buddhism in China, 406). Ultimately, these two viewpoints both emphasize the importance of the Dao or Way in their very core teachings.
A refinement of the self is essentially the process that one should take in order to better follow the Dao. Confucianism would describe the ideal person as a “junzi” or gentleman who holds “filial devotion (xiao), humanness (ren), and ritual decorum (li)” very high (Confucius and the Analects, 43). While Daoist tradition may not look at these traits in the same light that Confucianism does, the important point is that they both stress the need for a refinement of the self. A more Daoist point of view of the self-refinement is one that reflects the idea that “the person of superior wisdom and insight who, instead of taking part in society, chooses to retire from public life to perfect a personal purity and intelligence and to seek harmony with the world of nature” most closely follows the Dao (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi 79). The need for self-refinement is evident in both traditions, though not necessarily for the same reasons.
Filial devotion is an important theme in both traditions. This is apparent in some of the primary texts for both Daoism and Confucianism. In the Analects, which is possibly the “single most important source for understanding the thought of Confucius and the traditions to which he subscribed,” section 2:21 Confucius is directly asked “What do the Documents say about being filial?” Confucius replies, “Be filial. Just being filial and friendly towards one’s brothers has its effect on government” (Confucius and the Analects 42, 47). Although this is a reference to the bigger idea that society as a whole needs a refinement, the fact that the Analects have this specific conversation with Confucius himself noting the importance of filial devotion, illustrates the importance of it in the tradition. Furthermore, the conversation that Confucius has with another individual describes how one should act after the death of their father. He says, “If for three years he does not change his father’s ways, he is worthy to be called filial” (Confucius and the Analects 46). To be filial is one of the core values of Confucian teachings. Just as “the harmony and continuity of the family is reflected in Confucianism,” Daoism carries some of the very same ideas (Adler, Chinese religious traditions, 18). Although not as boldly emphasized as in Confucian teachings, as seen in the Daodejing, the Daoist tradition displays a need for filial devotion. Section 19 of the Daodejing reads, “Do away with humanness, discard rightness, And the people will once more be filial and loving” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi, 84). Here the Daodejing presents being filial in a positive light as compared to humanness and rightness. Though it does not describe the purpose of being filial, it is obviously an important point if it is in the Daodejing. Another example of this is mentioned in chapter 3 of the Laozi: “Follow the middle, go by what is constant, and you can stay in one piece, keep yourself alive, look after your parents, and live out your years” (The Way of the Laozi and Zhuangzi). This example more explicitly says that filial devotion is important.
While the similarities between Daoism and Confucianism are important, lying in the differences are some of the main ideologies of each of the traditions.

Confucius thought that society needed to return to the Dao while Daoism teaches that we need to follow the Dao or else we will not continue to live. Confucius was “not the one who was born with knowledge, [but is the] one who loves the past and is diligent in seeking it” (Confucius and the Analects 51). Both traditions support a following of the Dao, but their approach to living the Dao is very different. Confucianism is very explicit in what is right and wrong. A major source of information for what is right and what is wrong are the Analects, where conversations “focus on the practicalities of interpersonal relationships, personal cultivation in the context of those relationships, and the relationship of personal cultivation on the part of rulers and ministers to the conduct of government” (Confucius and the Analects 42). This is important because it shows how important Confucius thought that human and social relationships were to and how they can help society return to the old ways. In section 2.3 of the Analects, Confucius

says,
Lead them by means of regulations and keep order among them through punishments, and the people will evade them and will lack any sense of shame. Lead them through moral force (de) and keep order among them through rites (li), and they will have a sense of shame and will also correct themselves. (Confucius and the Analects, 46)
Confucius is saying that leading people through pleasant relationships and rituals is a much better way to promote the Dao than through negative regulations. Confucian teachings attempt to bring society as a whole to a level of living the Dao rather than only certain individuals. This is evident in the previous passage, as it instructs leaders how to treat their people in a way that will ultimately cause the people to act moral as human beings. Furthermore, the “four things that the Master taught [were] culture, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness” (Confucius and the Analects, 51). The values that Confucius was teaching were very concrete when compared to the Daoist teachings in the Laozi and the Zhuangzi. The very definition to the name of the Dao as described by the Daoist text is ambiguous, as the Dao “must remain essentially indescribable and can be known only through a kind of mysterious intuition” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi 78). The intangible nature of the Daoist way is essentially what allows it to be so successful. This is recognized in the text in multiple places. “The Way is empty. It may be used without ever being exhausted” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi, 81). The logic is that if it is empty, then there is nothing to exhaust, and thus, “it appears to live forever” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi, 81). The mysterious nature of doing nothing extends into the teachings about how to act as a person. Section 37 of the Daodejing says, “The Way is constant: by doing nothing, nothing is left undone” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi, 87). Rather than the rituals and importance of learning that Confucius promotes, the Daodejing encourages doing nothing, as if you do not do anything, then you cannot forget to do something. One passage of the Daodejing that is quite opposite to Confucius teachings is section 47:
Devotion to learning means increasing day by day;
Devotion to the Way means decreasing day by day.
Decreasing, and decreasing still more, one arrives at doing nothing,
And in doing nothing, nothing remains undone. (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi)
The directness of this section towards discouraging learning is one of the clearest instances when Daoism opposes Confucianism. Another example of this is in Chapter 3 of the Laozi where it says that “Life has a limit but knowledge has none; If you use what is limited to pursue what has no limit, you will be in danger” (The Way of the Laozi and Zhuangzi 103). The Laozi is essentially saying that attaining knowledge can be dangerous, so you must follow wuwei, or doing nothing. The Zhuangzi points out that there is benefit to being useless, which we can assume is a result of doing nothing. The benefit is that “If there’s no use for [something], how can it come to grief or pain?” (The Way of Laozi and Zhuangzi 98). Specifically in this instance, a tree is the useless item, but this can very well extend to an individual.
Additionally, though both traditions taught the Way, their goals are different when inspected further. The ultimate goal of Daoist religious practice became “the potential attainment of immortality” while the goal of Confucianism “in human interactions is the motivation of the actors and their capacity for mutual respect and regard based on recognition of a common humanity (Han Cosmology and Immortality, 57) (The Evolution of the Confucian Tradition in Antiquity 114). The comparison of their goals in this way clearly identifies one of the major conflicts between the two traditions. Daoism is concerned with the self and Confucianism is concerned with human relationships.
Through the evidence presented, it is evident that the two religious traditions, Confucianism and Daoism have apparent similarities and differences. Both traditions seek a refinement of self through the Dao, though the Dao is not the same for both traditions. The Confucianism view of the Dao is one that encourages action and human relationships, while the Daoist view of the Dao is one of wuwei, or doing nothing.
Confucianism has often been understood to represent the mind of the Chinese scholar in his office or study, concerned with matters of family and society, while Daoism represents the same individual in a private chamber or mountain retreat, often seeking surcease from the cares of official life. (The Way of the Laozi and Zhuangzi)
The major texts for these two traditions, which includes the Analects, the Laozi, and the Zhuangzi, all give many examples of these differing world views. Despite the close relationship between the two traditions, they both have lessons that directly oppose the other tradition. This includes the Daoist teachings against learning as well as the Confucius saying “the noble person is ashamed if his words exceed his actions” (Confucius and the Analects, 58). Confucius would view the Daoist tradition as inadequate while Daoism would oppose the effort put into learning and rituals that Confucius teaches.