Shoe Shan Journeys: Ethic as Guidance
In the story (section 5, from Daoist Chaung Zu stories) of Shu shan the tooless, I see there was different teaching of Confucius and Dao. It is difficult to say that one is a criticism of another, but there are comparable issues in which Daoist writings can be interpreted as directly addressing the more troubling aspects of Confucianism. The difference between Confucianism and Taoism is their views on what is a knowledge, ethic, and person responsibility.
Both Confucius and Dao stem have a similar goal and similar beliefs. They have been regarded as part of the cultural heritage of the Chinese. They also until now well-know as general ethic of the Chinese civilizations.
However, they take opposing views on the person's responsibilities. Confucianism is based on the teachings of Confucius (also known as Kong Zi). In this story talks how Confucius and Dao saw the morality of people. Confucius more direct to judge that what people do obey the ethic virtues as wrong. Appling social ethics for Confucius is by legal. By follows the virtue of je, when the personal being is respected. The Confucian ruler would favor leading by example over coercion, but the desire for controlling behavior is present none the less. There is a certain arrogance in the notion of always judging people to be good or evil. Like in cut story, Zhong Ni (Khong Zi’s disciple) said to Shoe Shan the mutilated toeless “you weren’t careful in the fisrt place, and by committing crimes you brought this disaster your self”.
While Confucius’ focus is on the human, Lao Tzu's on what transcends of the human wisdom. Like when shoe shan complain about Zhong Ni treatment, Lao Dan said; “Why not strainghten him out y showing him how life and death are linked on a single branch, and how approval and disapproval are linked on a single thread”. In the other hand, Dao reject to Confucius belief, that the most important things is filial piety. Spirituality is more important for Dao than social constitution. Daoism ethics is concept of wu-wei, that is “non purposeful action”. Rather than disturbing the balance of nature, or being himself or herself disturbed by things beyond their control, they allow nature to take on its own order and find peace in that setting.
In conclusion, what made Confucian and Dao seem contras and critic each other are because of they used different view in seeing world. Confucius stresses social responsibility, Lao Tzu praises spontaneity and naturalness, Confucius' focus is on the human, Lao Tzu's on what transcends the human. Confucianism is concerned primarily with the needs of society, and unlike Taoism, not the ability of a person to live in harmony with nature. Fascinating dialog but little bit confusing for me to allow them, but when rulers operate like in story, type of people like Shoe Shan would inspire to ask what a good life is.
