Taoism & Confucianism
Essential Questions
What are the main beliefs of Taoism?
What are the main beliefs of Confucianism?
Daoism/Taoism
Daoism, sometimes called Taoism, is a philosophy said to have begun with Laozi (low•dzuh). No one knows if he really existed, but some say he lived in the 500s B.C. The name Laozi means “Old Master.” The book of his teachings is the Dao De Jing (The Book of the Way of Virtue). The teachings of Laozi are called Daoism (DOW•IHZ•uhm). They contrast sharply with Legalism and Confucianism.
The Way
Daoists believed that a universal force called the Dao, or the Way, guides all things. All creatures, except humans, live in harmony with this force. To relate to nature and each other, each human being had to find an individual way, or Dao. The individual had to learn to live in harmony with nature and with inner feelings.
Following the Way
Daoists did not argue about good and bad, and they did not try to change things. They accepted things as they were. They did not want to be involved with the government. Daoists tried to understand nature and live in harmony with its rhythms. This included the idea of yin and yang, or two things that interact with each other. The yin (black) stands for all that is cold, dark, and mysterious. The yang (white) represents all that is warm, bright, and light. The forces complement each other. The forces are always changing and evolving. Understanding yin and yang helped a person understand how he or she fits into the world.
Background Lecture
Both Confucianism and Daoism were developed in response to the political disorder going on in China. Thus, the main focus of today’s lesson is going to be what these philosophies had to say about government. We’ll also practice sourcing, close reading, and contextualization skills. The Central Historical Question is: What did ancient Chinese philosophers think was the ideal form of government?
Activity 1: Primary Source- Confucius and Daoism
1) Read "Confucianism and Daoism: An Overview" to discuss the beliefs of the two religions.
2) Review by answering discussion questions (Set 1)
3) We are going to closely read documents A & B to identify the claims each document makes about the ideal type of government and to determine which document is from a Confucian perspective and which is from a Daoist perspective. Answer the guiding questions and defend your position.
4) Review
5) We are going to closely read documents C & D to identify the claims each document makes about the ideal type of government and to determine which document is from a Confucian perspective and which is from a Daoist perspective. Answer the guiding questions and defend your position.
4) Review by answering discussion questions (Set 2)
SHEG-What did ancient Chinese philosophers think was the ideal form of government.pdfDiscussion Questions (Set 1)
What are the main ideas of Confucianism?
What are the main ideas of Daoism?
How are these philosophies different from each other?
Discussion Questions (Set 2)
Do both sources from Confucian scholars describe exactly the same vision of an ideal government? Do both sources from Daoist scholars describe exactly the same vision of an ideal government?
What are some of the differences between the scholars representing the same philosophies? Why might these differences exist?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each philosophy?
Activity 2: How are Confucianism and Daoism similar and how are they different?
Using the information from this lesson, answer the questions in a thinking map. Complete this assignment digitally or on paper. It will be collected in your portfolio.