Why do Confucianism and Taoism learn from each other and blend with each other?

All thoughts and knowledge are the product of a social structure or historical process. Confucianism and Taoism have lasted for more than 2000 years because their thoughts are shining and influencing future generations. Confucianism and Taoism have both the pursuit of * * * and the differences of ideas. Confucianism and Taoism complement each other, and constantly trigger new thinking from this ancient topic from different angles and different sides. Confucianism and Taoism are complementary in gender culture and aesthetics.

Similarities between Confucianism and Taoism

Value embodiment of Confucianism and Taoism

Confucius was a great thinker and educator in ancient China and the founder of Confucianism. In the process of rebuilding the culture of rites and music, Confucianism has made a special contribution to casting the aesthetic psychological habits of the Chinese nation. As the mainstream culture of traditional culture in China, Confucian culture has ruled for more than two thousand years, not only because it reflects the needs of traditional social structure in China, but also because it has formed its own unique cultural characteristics in the historical development of traditional society in China.

Laozi is a great ancient thinker known to our people. The classic Tao Te Ching written by Laozi initiated ancient Chinese philosophy. His philosophical thoughts and the Taoist school he founded not only made important contributions to the development of China's ancient ideology and culture, but also had a far-reaching impact on the development of China's ideology and culture for more than two thousand years.

Confucianism and Taoism pursue the same thing.

The pursuit of avenue is the common goal of Confucianism and Taoism. Both Confucianism and Taoism expect to establish a political system to ensure people's health and all-round development with the ideal of serving the public.

Differences between Confucianism and Taoism

Representatives and thoughts of Confucianism and Taoism

Representatives of Confucianism, such as Confucius and Mencius, and the famous Analects of Confucius. Representative figures of Taoism, such as Laozi and Zhuangzi, are well-known representative works, such as Tao Te Ching. When Confucianism entered the WTO, Taoism was born. Confucianism talks about worrying about the world first, while Taoists talk about picking chrysanthemums and seeing Nanshan leisurely under the hedge. Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of Confucianism in the world, Taoism is small in politics and eternal in art, Confucianism stresses etiquette, respects Confucius and Mencius, and Taoism stresses self-cultivation and simple materialism.

Political Effects of Confucianism and Taoism

After the Han Dynasty, the rulers of China chose Confucianism instead of Laozi's theory. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty changed from advocating the technique of Huang Lao to respecting Confucianism alone, which was bound to have some compelling considerations. For a ruler who is entangled in specific issues of real politics, the distance between Taoist theory and reality is too great, while the gap between Confucian theory and real social and political process is small and operability is strong. The profundity of Tao Te Ching hinders its popularization and application. Only when the time is ripe to eliminate private ownership and the party that serves the people wholeheartedly appears can it show its talents. It can only be shelved for a long historical period. Confucianism, as an incomplete theory, is more applicable when the road is far from reality and people can't change reality. It can pursue the spiritual liberation of people, including Buddhism, without changing the existing political and economic process, ignoring the organic connection between man and society and pursuing enlightenment with wishful thinking. It is precisely because Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have not penetrated into the organic connection between human nature and social, political and economic processes in theory that they can be compatible with private ownership, so they can be accepted by the rulers and regarded as the state religion, which actually plays a role in guiding people's hearts and maintaining the continuation of Taoism.

"Being" and "Nothing" Thoughts of Confucianism and Taoism

Hegel pointed out in his book Little Logic that there can only be one absolute logical starting point, and that is "you", that is, there is no prescriptive pure existence. However, when this "you" is pure and pure, so that there is no stipulation, it becomes its own opposite and another logical link-"nothing". If we use these two categories to understand China culture, then the construction goal of Confucianism is "being" and the deconstruction goal of Taoism is "nothing". Like Hegel's point of view, the Confucian "being" comes first and the Taoist "being" comes last, so the logical relationship between them cannot be transposed, otherwise the deconstruction of Taoism will become meaningless; Different from Hegel's point of view, Confucianism's "being" is unconsciously transformed into "nothing" because of its lack of stipulation. On the contrary, it is precisely because there are too many regulations that we need to use "nothing" to eliminate it and realize a historic return.

Confucianism and Taoism complement each other, but Taoism focuses on ideas, while Confucianism focuses more on reality. Some thoughts are the same, but they are different in the process, and finally they become like this.