Daoism Vs Confucianism Essay

1681 Words7 Pages
In ancient China, there were three main belief systems: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Confucianism, founded by Confucius, is a philosophy that is concentrated on respecting elders, honoring family, and serving in the government that emphasized five main relationships. Unlike Confucianism, Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, which emphasizes the teachings of Buddha and promises escape from suffering once one reaches the state of nirvana. Distinct from both of the philosophies, Daoism was a religion that emphasized living in harmony with nature and addressed the natural balance in life. Released by Disney, Mulan is a movie about a Chinese girl during the Han Dynasty when the Huns attacked China. Unlike any other Disney movie, this…show more content…
Mulan is historically accurate in its portrayal the main beliefs of Daoism, the ruler and subject relationship, and the treatment and roles of women in society. Firstly, the movie truthfully represents some of the ideas of Daoism: finding one’s center and following the Wu Wei. Wu Wei is a belief in conscious non-action. Daoists also believe that one should not take actions that will harm nature. When Fa Zhou, Mulan’s father, talks to Mulan about how one of the beautiful blossoms is late, he states, “When it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all.” This shows one of the ideas of Daoism of Wu Wei because he is not forcing the flower to bloom. Instead, he is patient and lets nature take its course. Qi, the energy of the universe, is another one of the main ideas of Daoism. Another example of a part of the movie that shows Qi is the song: “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” The lyrics to this song are: Tranquil as a forest but on fire within. Once you find your center you are sure to win. These lyrics were sung when the men were training to fight in war. It shows how you need to find your “center” or Qi to succeed in martial arts. Also, the lyrics compare the forces of nature to the characteristics and qualities of a soldier, which
Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between Ancient China And Confucianism

    1247 Words  | 5 Pages

    During ancient China, there were two main religions. These two religions consisted of Confucianism and Taoism. Both of these religions in no way completely agree with the other. However, people believed in one or the other or sometimes elements of both. Both of the religions were important to China. The reason why there were two belief systems was because each religion presents one side of the Chinese mind. Whenever one religion started to go too far in their beliefs, the other religion balanced

    Read More

More about Daoism Vs Confucianism Essay

Open Document