how are Confucianism. Daoism, and Legalism different? are there any similarities between 2 or more of these?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Confucianism is a philosophy originated by the Chinese Philosopher, Confucius, which teaches that Logic and reason can solve all human problems, and rejects excessive emotion and superstition. Confucianism also teaches that following the traditions of early Chinese culture is the best way to organize society. Traditional Ritual, Music and Poetry are also seen as important tools in maintaining societal harmony. The main source of confucian teaching are the collected sayings of confucius.


Daoism on the other hand was started by Lao Tzu, and is mainly concerned with living a balanced life based on following Nature. Lau Tzu saw the natural world as a sort of teacher which could impart wisdom to mankind if we only observed it and modeled our lives on what we see in nature. Extremes are to be avoided, passivity is encouraged over force, going with the flow of things and avoiding conflict is the goal. A good Daoist observation would be that a small stream will eventually wear down a solid rock or mountain over millions of years, therefore - being slow, gentle and flexible like water, is more effective than being unbendable and hard as a rock.