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Differences Between Daoism And Confucianism

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It is a well known fact that in order to survive, civilizations must change; they cannot remain stagnant forever. These changes allow a society to grow and develop which is crucial as new breakthroughs can lift up a civilization from a place of oppression and boundaries into a more equal and freeing place. However, long held customs or behaviors may be persistent with the lifespan of a society. Typical behavior can last centuries, but sometimes a small break will occur where a new change is tested out only to be reverted back to the previous arrangement. During the time period 100 C.E. to 600 C.E classical chinese civilization witnessed a change of spirituality that disrupted the traditional social system. However, despite this, China upheld …show more content…

It appealed to many people as it provided a way to live one's life and to respond to other classes (the oppressed and the ruler’s relationship). Daoism was also wildly popular. It’s main focus was on balance and nature. Daoism offered people the spirituality and answers to life’s questions which they felt Confucianism didn’t answer. This balance was very clear for many centuries which is why these two beliefs were so well preserved among the chinese. However, Buddhism became relevant in Chinese culture around the third century. Spread along the silk roads, people took to Buddhism hesitantly. The Han rulers had originally ordered the destruction of the religion, but it persisted after their dynasty had ended. Many people found it to be an appealing religion. Since translating Buddhist texts was difficult with the language barrier, the exact translation was altered so that Buddhism was was translated in Daoist terms. As a result, people accepted this new belief openly as it made sense alongside their original beliefs. Buddhism ultimately stuck around. It became the primary religion after more missionaries traveled the silk roads and further exposed China to these new teachings. At the end of the sixth century, Buddhism has spread entirely though China and has reached into Korea and Japan. While China may have originally had a sound belief system, Buddhism complimented both nicely in a way that …show more content…

One example being it’s consistent policy of a civil service test that allows a person to become a government official. This extensive test was special to China as compared to the Roman Empire -- a position of power is given to one who has the desire to help his community, not to one who has wealth and aristocratic titles. Despite going through many leaders and several dynasties, the political system remained strong and intact with this practice of choosing officials. The mandate of heaven was strong as well, giving leaders their power along with support from their followers. The political structure of Chinese culture remained persistent as well, an ode to the structure of their political system. Because their basis was so well thought out and organized, it didn’t need to be altered or changed much with each new ruler. While Chinese culture was open to some changes, it’s political system hadn’t the need to be changed. An intricate system of testing potential government officials, the civil service exam proved to be unique to chinese culture; a testament to the organization that went into their political system and future political candidates. The few changes made to the political structure is proof enough that the early Chinese civilization can be considered a resilient society that understood that a strong

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