Confucian and Daoist Discourses on Learning in Ancient China (2024)

FAQs

Confucian and Daoist Discourses on Learning in Ancient China? ›

While Daoists believed that learning was frivolous, Confucians believed that learning was a worthwhile activity that should be performed as often and as frequently as possible.

The structure of Chinese society and its focus on rituals, familial respect and obligation, worship of ancestors, and self-discipline, remains greatly influenced by Confucius and his teachings. Taoism (also called Daoism) is a Chinese religion that developed a bit after Confucianism, around two thousand years ago.

That is, he advocated for education for all. This Confucius view seems to have influenced the present Chinese policy on free six years of primary schools and free three years of secondary schools. At the university level, there are also Confucius scholarships that allow everyone to study the Chinese language.

Consequently, Daoism rejects the knowledge accumulation and self-cultivation that Confucianism advocates, because the knowledge that could be acquired and taught was meaningless and fake. Chuang Tzu said, The Way has its reality and its signs but is without action or form.

Confucianism focuses on societal rules and moral values, whereas Taoism advocates simplicity and living happily while in tune with nature. On the other hand, Buddhism reiterates the ideas of suffering, impermanence of material items, and reincarnation while stressing the idea of reaching salvation beyond.

People were taught to stay in their social classes to create social harmony, which discouraged anyone from rising in status. Women were considered a different and lower social class than men. According to Confucian rules, women had to obey their male family members, including their sons.

Whereas Daoism seeks harmony between the individual (or human) way and the natural order and tends to dismiss human society as artificial and constrained, Confucianism emphasizes the achievement of a kind of moral excellence (ren, or “humaneness”) that is cultivated and manifested by conscientious behaviour within ...

Focuses on learning through questioning and discussion only after the mastery of key concepts and knowledge. This chapter discusses and evaluates research on cross-cultural communication differences in online learning at the university level.

Confucius said, “Those who are born with the possession of knowledge are the highest class of men. Those who learn, and so readily get possession of knowledge, are the next. Those who are dull and stupid, and yet compass the learning, are another class next to these.

The Tao (or Dao) is hard to define but is sometimes understood as the way of the universe. Taoism teaches that all living creatures ought to live in a state of harmony with the universe and the energy found in it. Ch'i, or qi, is the energy present in and guiding everything in the universe.

What does Daoism say about education? ›

Daoism was more concerned with individuals gaining knowledge about themselves, their natural environment, and the Dao, than with individuals learning from classical Confucian texts or other texts of the sages. Daoists believed that learning would do more harm than good for the person who sought knowledge.

Generally speaking, whereas Daoism embraces nature and what is natural and spontaneous in human experience, even to the point of dismissing much of China's advanced culture, learning, and morality, Confucianism regards human social institutions—including the family, the school, the community, and the state—as essential ...

From a Daoist point of view, Confucian concern with civilization, culture and moral cultivation reflected a bias toward artificiality and toward unnecessary and arbitrary distinctions.

Though Daoism and Confucianism shared a core belief in the Dao, or “the Way,” they diverged in how each understood how the Dao manifested itself in the world. While Confucianism is concerned with creating an orderly society, Daoism is concerned with helping people live in harmony with nature and find internal peace.

Confucianism is concerned with human society and the social responsibilities of its members; Daoism emphasizes nature and what is natural and spontaneous in the human experience. The two traditions, “within society” and “beyond society,” balance and complement each other.

Within Confucianism there are five constant virtues or wu chang (五常). In descending order of importance, the virtues are benevolence or ren (仁), righteousness or yi (义), propriety or li (理), wisdom or zhi (智) and fidelity or xin (信).

The system gives advice on how societies should be run, how people should live their lives and how relationships should be maintained. It stresses hierarchy, social harmony, group orientation and respect for elders – all aspects of Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture that are still very much alive.

Many in ancient and modern times used both to compliment and extend each other. The Confucians say we should build ourselves up to be educated, compassionate and civilized, while the Daoists say we should clear ourselves out to become open-minded, patient and peaceful.

Answer and Explanation: Daoism influenced Chinese shan shui painting, a form of landscape painting. As a religion, Daoism places an emphasis on nature. As a result of this, Daoism influenced paintings by having artists create work with elaborate natural scenes that minimized the place and role of people.

China originated Confucianism and Daoism; and they are primarily practiced there. The population outside of China that practices Confucianism and Daoism is very small. That's why China is significant with regard to these philosophies.