Legalism, Taoism and Confucianism Essay

All leash most influential philosophical schools of thought i.e. legalism, Taoism and Confucianism originate from the same belief of peace and accord in the Chinese society in contingent and in world in general. But their methodologies and philosophical routes to achieve this prey are different. Legalism suggest a strong and central political torso as remedy for all the maladies of contemporary Chinese society whereas Taoism and Confucianism do not favor a strong political entity and reinforce the ideas of somebody granting immunity and sociable cohesion. The doctrine of legalism believes that strict laws and punitive measures are preconditions for a strong central government that poop bring peace and prosperity in the society. This doctrine is found on the assumption that hu gay constitution is irredeemably malicious and is prone to produce conflicts. These conflicts harm the social cohesion and concede panic and disorder in the community. That is the reason that strong l aws and punishments can get up them (people) in alignment with ineluctably of the political entity. In total pedigree to Legalism, Taoism and Confucianism are of the view that human nature is constituted of moral virtues. Taoism was right off opposed to the tenets of Legalism and believed in a close association between man and nature. They further reinforce that nature is virtuous in essence and think at achieving greater unity and universal organization. They view man-made laws as artificial and transient that has limited life. So Taoist are against Legalism and believed that these were fabricate to serve the vested interest of the rulers and they stick nothing to do with the common salutary of the people. This basic difference between the philosophical principles leads the Taoist to rebel against the open social patterns as they considered it a tool to perpetuate the regime of the coercive rulers. Confucianism is considered a rationalization of these two extremes i.e. le galism and Taoism. Confucianism neither believed in the idea of common punishments, impersonal laws and inhuman rules toward the mass nor it gave approval to infrangible private emancipation of thought and action as it would lead to utter anarchy. Confucianism adopted an equidistant approach between the two extremes and propagated a philosophy based on the beautiful combination of individual needs and social needs. Confucianism served as a balance between the extreme centralization of power and subjugation of multitude as embodied in Legalism and the utter chaos created by the absolute individualistic approach of Taoism. Legalism was an advanced political system whereas Taoism was inclined toward primitivism. Taoism built the idea of a personal and individual reaction to the mundane and decomposable social problems. According to its basic precept of Tao (way), human nature can find its own way out of many. So it negated the formulated laws and constituted social patterns.Subj ective judgments were made according to the needs of the occasions. Mostly these judgments were based on the ancient teachings and conventional principles with outsized personal discretion. In unload contrast to Taoism, Legalism established a complete code of laws and they (Legalists) were strictly adhered to these laws. alternatively of personal discretion or subjective interpretation, judgments were made according to written laws. This characteristic of Legalism made it the most advanced philosophy of ancient chinaware as compared with Taoism. In contrast to abovementioned ways, Confucianism suggested another way i.e. to get social harmony through social cohesion of individuals with the society itself. It took care of individuals needs as well as the socio-political needs. To Confucius, society was not a undefiled collection of individual but is has other internal and external dimensions. Internally, it is the developed device that moulds our beliefs and attitudes term on t he external horizon, it exerts and maintains pressures from the society to facilitate consent to the above-mentioned collective beliefs and attitudes.Confucius perceived society as a recite and distinguished unit. It is an entity independent of individuals. This argument clearly manifests that social facts i.e. norms, values and institutions, have their independent existence and are not sustained by individual actions but individuals react to them. Confucius also suggests that individual desires are cravings are illimitable and individual hankers after more and more. This natural insatiability produces individual propensities in humans. In order to control these propensities society works as a regulative force.Frederick Cheung has comprehensively summed up the differences and similarities in the doctrines of these major philosophies of Chinese history in this wayIf we compare and contrast the three schools of thoughts on individual freedom and control we would find that Taoism w as extremely free, while Legalism was extremely strict (a physique of totalitarian control) with Confucianism in the middle (the golden means or ease). On political theory and concepts of progress, Legalism was the most advanced and directing to the future while Taoism was reactionary and returning to the primitive nature with again Confucianism in the middle. Indeed, moderation and balance were perhaps the major reasons for the eventual triumph of Confucianism in traditional Chinese history. (p.3)ReferencesCheung, Frederick. (2006). The Legacy of Ancient China The Intellectual Foundations Legalism, Taoism, and Confucianism. The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Website