The Daodejing Analysis

The concept of Yin and Yang , which is parallel to shady side and sunny side, evil and good, stillness and movement, has been a prevalent concept in society since the fifth - sixth century BCE. On paper, it is portrayed as a circle that is “not divided (in half) by a razor sharp line” but by a curved, flexible one. This represents the complete wholeness of the symbol. In the black/white side, there is a germ of the other side, a white/black spot, respectively, indicating that there is no definite yin/yang, as there is some good in the bad and visa-versa. They flow into one another, change with time, as the day gradually flows into the night, and are dependent on each other. It seems that the whole of Chinese philosophies and religions, including
The purpose of Taoism was to solidify humans’ relationship, harmony, and connection with nature. In the Daodejing, a text written by Laozi during the third or fourth century, the thoughts emphasised were “untutored simplicity was powerful” (Spodek 212). Because Taoism stressed and allowed an individual to follow their own Tao, something that the mind cannot grasp but exists, it was taught that this “view of simplicity diminished the need for a government” (Spodek 212). Taoists believed that in order to be in touch with our deeper self and experience the world fully we needed to be still, let go of complex thoughts, and not commit any unnecessary actions, as it is unproductive. This is parallel to the idea that nature does not hurry, yet everything gets accomplished. Confucianism and Taoism are two schools of thought that exist; however can not be complete without certain aspects and the influence of one another.

In both Confucianism and Taoism the goal was to achieve underlying harmony, but the means of attaining this and between what was the difference. Confucianism was targeted to connect the individual with society; whereas, Taoism stressed the relationship between the individual and nature, as well as