Confucianism and Taoism Two contrasting views of life essay

Confucianism and Taoism Two contrasting views of life essay Confucianism and Taoism: Two contrasting views of life? essay Confucianism and Taoism: Two contrasting views of life? essayAny cultural factor should be considered as part of the system that gave rise to it. A single factor which is torn from a socio-historical context can be easily understood wrongly. It is impossible to speak on Taoism out of socio-cultural context in which it is originated. This context is Confucianism, without which, perhaps, there would not be Taoism. These two religions have common roots, but they are still two contrasting vies of life.Taoism emerged in 5-4 centuries BC and it seemed to be an â€Å"opponent† of the dominant ethical system of Confucianism (Yu, 2008). The postulates of these studies often seem to be diametrically opposed (in this case, the philosophical Taoism is discussed as social and philosophical teachings, not as the methods of psycho-physical training and alchemical practice).The main difference between the Confucian and Taoist cultures is the attitudes toward human nature, from which â€Å"di stribution of roles†, established between them in the traditional Chinese culture, implies. Both scholars have suggested the need for change in order to get closer to the â€Å"true essence of a man† but the question is what was invested in this concept and methods of updating the true nature?Confucians believed that the true essence of man is humanity (jen), the good, true human beginning. Self-education, the development of a â€Å"humane† beginning (the carrier of high moral and psychological qualities) and the suppression of a â€Å"wild†, â€Å"evil† were understood under the self-improvement. At the time of Taoism appearance Confucianism was the official doctrine, the foundation of the state structure. â€Å"The central figure†, the ideal of Confucianism chun-tzu is a â€Å"noble man†, the support of the Confucian mind. Its virtues: self-control, justice, piety, and social responsibility. Its goal is public service; personality i n Confucian ethics is subjected to the society (Chen, 2010).Confucian culture is elite; the basic medium of its distribution is the noble people (mostly government officials whose main activity consists in the administration of the state). Hence the desire to order governing and ritualizing all possible spheres of life is. Similar to the psychological sphere, the changes achieved by limiting the adverse factors, mainly through the acquisition of behavior norms, the control (first external and then internal). A permanent control over own mental sphere and the preservation of permanent self-control were considered as virtue of the â€Å"noble man†. The most important method on self-improvement is also related with self-observation, designed to identify â€Å"wrong† that should be eliminated.On the other hand, Taoists, condemning the â€Å"barbarism†, wildness, susceptibility to passion, understood a true human nature initially under inherent to every phenomenon co smic principle, which embodies the same laws of nature for all the universal. The highest goal of Taoism is the identification and ultimate actualization of the â€Å"true beginning† in a man and the complete submission to it, â€Å"merging† with a single flow of the universe movement.There is originally no question about morality and the public wellbeing. Taoism focuses on individual improvement. The moral growth comes naturally as the union of the adept with Tao, but it is not imposed from outside. Hence, the behavior of the Taoist is less constrained by the conventional rules. Their place is taken by the natural rules that come with a deep transformation of the individual and, therefore, they are not perceived as a constraint. Thus, Taoism is more humanistic comparing to Confucianism, which is initially focused on the education of the decent member of society and the maintenance of public order.Assessing the vulnerability to passions as negative as the Confucians di d, Taoists were opposed to the forcible suppression of unwanted aspects of human nature. Instead of fighting with him, the cultivation of a state of rest, detachment including alienation from man’s own passions was practiced in the Taoist tradition. â€Å"Self† takes the position of an observer providing a stream of consciousness opportunity to flow itself:â€Å"Having reached the limit of emptiness, observing peace and tranquility, looking at the mutual origination of things, Ill contemplate only its permanent return† (Tao Te Ching) (Kirkland, 1998).Different ways of perceiving themselves and world Taoists and Confucians have different â€Å"views† on life perception. Confucian thinking is necessarily binary, dichotomic, based on learning the phenomena in terms of their opposition, on the opposition of pairs such as â€Å"natural – cultural†, â€Å"tranquility – movement†, â€Å"good – evil†, â€Å"subject â₠¬â€œ object†, etc. In human nature Confucians clearly separated and opposed the â€Å"natural† (passions) and â€Å"cultural†, designed to restrain these passions. Such an approach, which opens the way to the analytical knowledge of the world, allows ordering a picture of the world, at the same time â€Å"splits† the world in the oppositions, depriving it of its integrity. In this case everything what does not fit into this artificial model of the world is distorted or ignored. Confucian upbringing also contributed to the internal confrontation, leading to intrapersonal conflicts.For the Taoist life’s view, the social rules and norms are perceived as: 1) violence against the person, 2) convention, artificial formation, thus, preventing the appearance of the true nature of man, and 3) a factor that increases the separation of a man from the world (Dickerson, 2006).Taoist view of life is holistic, so-called â€Å"contradictions† are combined, p resented as inseparable interacting poles of the whole, and this interaction is the source of movement and development. Unity with Tao blurs the line between object and subject, â€Å"self† and â€Å"non-self†, the man and the world.Confucius sees the main task of the philosophy in the preservation and transmission of the ancient culture to the descendants. The person as a member of society is in the center of his teaching. The main human quality, according to Confucius, is the humanity, or â€Å"love to people† (jen). Humanity is also a universal law, the meaning of which Confucius formulated in the form of â€Å"golden rule† of morality, â€Å"Do not wish anyone anything what you don’t want for yourself† (Nuyen, 2001).Confucius devoted much attention to issues of state governance. In his view, the relationship between citizens and subordinates should be regulated by analogy to the relationship in the family. Everyone must adhere to his res ponsibilities and do not deviate from them. In this case, he becomes a â€Å"noble man† and is guided by justice, rather than petty personal gain, as the â€Å"low men† do. In contrast to Confucianism, focusing on the social aspects of reality, Taoism addressed exclusively to the inner world of a man. Only in himself, in the depths of his mind and soul, a person can open Tao the mystical essence of the life, its underlying cause, meaning and ultimate goal. The main principle of Taoism is â€Å"Everything comes from Tao; Tao is in and returns to Tao†. Being on the path of self-contemplation and opening Tao, a person can attain physical immortality by going to a higher level of existence.While Taoism and Confucianism have some similarities, they still have contrasting views of life. Taoism, with its concept of non-action, traditionally in opposition to Confucianism, preached the service to the emperor and public. This opposition was so deep that it was even refle cted in the work of Jesuit missionaries: for instance, Matteo Ricci was in a close contact with the Confucian elite and rejected Taoism as a pagan practice while his opponent Michele Ruggieri argued the similarities between the concepts of Tao and the Logos. However, the explicit opposition of these traditions existed mostly on the surface. In reality, in full accordance with the Taoist life view, both doctrines are inseparable poles of a single socio-cultural phenomenon. Their interaction leads to interpenetration enriching equally both traditions.

Forgo vs. Forego

Forgo vs. Forego Forgo vs. Forego Forgo vs. Forego By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between forgo and forego? It’s a foregone conclusion that there’ll be some confusion, but I’ll forgo further digression to get to the discussion. To forgo is to do without, or relinquish: â€Å"He will forgo the pleasure of her company†; â€Å"I’ll forgo the formality of requiring a co-signer.† The present participle is forgoing (â€Å"She is forgoing the procedure†), the past-tense form can be forwent (â€Å"She forwent the procedure†) or forgone (â€Å"She had forgone the procedure†), and one who forgoes is a forgoer. Only the basic verb form, however, is common. To forego, by contrast, is to go before, to precede. Forego is much less common in usage than forgo, and it generally has a figurative sense, often used in such statements as â€Å"Her reputation will forego her† or â€Å"Her reputation foregoes her,† meaning that others will have heard about the subject before they meet her. However, although the past-tense form forewent is rare, the form foregone, and the present participle foregoing are more common than the root word. A phrase I used in the first paragraph, â€Å"foregone conclusion,† is applied frequently to indicate that something is implicitly understood to be true; foregoing refers to something that has previously been encountered, as a passage in a document: â€Å"The foregoing statement should not be construed as an endorsement.† To maintain the distinction between the words forgo and forego in your mind, remember these basics: Use forgo or forgoing in the sense of â€Å"doing without†; past-tense usage is rare. And though use of forego is unlikely, foregone and foregoing are common terms for reference to something already done. Or, most simply, think of -fore in before to remind yourself that forego and its variants refer to sequence and that forgo resembles forget, which is often the reason something is left undone. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?10 Types of TransitionsMay Have vs. Might Have

Residential Real estate property Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Residential Real estate property - Essay Example In the first quarter of 2013, the appreciation of the property was 7% in Jakarta, which the author believes that it will stay the same until the next four years. The property growth of Jakarta is in the bubble right now. He states, â€Å"My financial analysis that is based on discounted cash flow and direct capitalization, I forecast that in the next 4 years the appreciation will stay the same and in the third year, the property value of one condominium will be around $ 482,765 USD - $ 495,363.† If the condominiums investors decide to sell property, they will gain $ 577580.81 USD net sale price. Thus, investors need to sell their condominiums at maximum in the next 3 years.According to the above financial analysis, it is reasonable to take 7% appreciation for the next four years because from a rational perspective, more lower class people will upgrade to middle class. When they receive their pay role for the first time they receive their money, these group of people would want to purchase a place to live, and they would not think for the property value and others’ perspectives on behalf of the property value. Even though the price is going up, the GDP will support it. Thus, from the author’s perspectives, the demand is still high until the third year. However, after the above analysis, the author believes that Jakarta residential real estate price could go down when people start to realize that the price is not worth the property value. There is a high possibility that more people will start to think to live outside Jakarta.

Compare and Contrast Meiosis vs Mitosis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Compare and Contrast Meiosis vs Mitosis - Essay Example The chromosomes that are created in the meiotic process contain dual copies of chromosomes that come from mother parent cell as well as father parent cell. In the end, in place of two cells, four cells are created having different chromosomes. The cells are not identical to the parent cells. The division in mitosis results in two pair of cells that are same as the parent cells while the four pair of cells created in meiotic process are not similar to the parent cells2. In mitotic process of cell division, the number of chromosomes produced in daughter cells is also similar to the number of chromosomes of parent cells. Mitotic cell division comes under the category of asexual reproduction while meiotic cell division comes under the category of sexual category. The mitotic asexual reproduction permits an organism to have duplicated versions of the original cell. Because of similarity of the offspring, the result of asexual reproduction is not diversified in asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction through meiosis results in gametes or spores found in animals and plants on earth3. The process of meiosis results in created of two copies of chromosomes, one from each father cell and mother cell resulting in four cells with one chromosomal copy of the parent cells. The results are diverse as the parental DNA get mixed and result in variety of cells. The offspring are diversified as compared to the parent cells through which, dissimilarity and variety can be found within the inhabitants4. The process of mitosis is responsible for cellular reproduction. It also enables general development and restoration of the body and cells. On the other hand, the process of meiosis is responsible for sexual reproduction5. The cell division in all organisms occurs through the process of mitosis while cell division in human beings, animals, plants and fungi occurs through the process of meiosis. Mitosis occurs in the somatic cells of the body that are accountable for constructing the body while meiosis occurs in the sex cells of the body responsible for reproduction. Mitosis cell division has one round of cell development while meiotic cell division has two rounds of cell development called Meiosis I and Meiosis II. The phases that occur stepwise in cell division are prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase in mitosis while in meiosis, the phases are double, following the same sequence as in Mitosis. The mitosis cell division produces two similar daughter cells identical to the parent cells while the meiosis cell division produces four diverse daughter cells dissimilar to the parent cells6. The daughter cells in meiosis are called haploid gametes. In mitosis cell division, the chromosomes are not able to get muddled up while in meiosis cell division, the chromosomes get combined resulting in diverse cells. The number of chromosomes in the mitotic cell division is the same as in parent cells while the number of chromosomes in the meiotic cell division is chan ged and is half as compared to parental cells. The parental cell that is able to divide in mitosis can be haploid or diploid while the parental cell that is able to divide in meiosis can be diploid only. The events known as crossing over and synapsis occur in meiosis I while these events do not happen in mitosis. There is genetic identity in mitotic division while genetic variation can be seen in meiotic division7. Vegetative

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay 1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because in the long run it affects the bottom line. By being socially responsible, the business is also showing that they care about more than their profits. Caring about more than just profits allows for greater employee commitment, investor loyalty, as well as higher customer satisfaction. Research has also shown that social responsibility and good business ethics contributes to higher profits. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? â€Å"No, Starbucks is not unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees. Business ethics has become more important in the business world and it has been found that if a company is dedicated to taking care of its employees, the more dedicated the employees will be. If an employee sees that the company is acting and treats them in an ethical manner, the employee is more likely to act in an ethical manner. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible activities or because it provides products and an environment that customers want? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because it has combined a product and environment that people want with great business ethics and social responsibility. This combination has allowed the company to expand exponentially during a good economy and maintain in a bad economy. By being socially responsible and treating their employee’s right, the company has less of a turnover rate and in the long run has been able to avoid large layoffs and shutting down a large amount of stores. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† 4) In what other ways does this case relate to the concepts that we have learned in the chapters so far? â€Å"This first chapter has shown that ethics is a big part of business. It can basically make or break a company. In the case of Starbucks, it has made them. They have based their business around social responsibility and ethics and have been able to maintain in an economy that has tanked because they treat their employees and customers right. According to our textbook, being ethical pays off with better employee performance, and higher employee honesty and integrity. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, Ferrell, 2013)† Bibliography Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2013). The Importance of Business Ethics. In O. C. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, L. Ferrell, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 17-22). Mason: South-Westen.

Divorce: A Global Problem Essay -- Informative Essay

In any married couple's relationships there are going to be times when their relationship is put to the test. Some couples make it through their relationships without any and live the rest of their lives happily married, but most can not fix their problems and are forced to get a divorce. Couples marry with the intent of staying together for the rest of their lives, but unfortunately that is not the case for many marriages. In fact, more than 50% of married couples end up getting a divorce. Divorce is the dissolution of marriage by a court. Since the married couple is getting a divorce they do not only have to handle the stress of the divorce, but also the financial problems it brings. Divorce affects everyone differently, and there are many different types and laws that influence divorce. Divorce is looked at differently by every state. Not all of the states have the same laws for divorce. There are two ways that states look at divorce they are called â€Å"community property† and â€Å"equitable distribution.† â€Å"Community property.† This is when all property that was bought during the marriage is owned by both people involved in the divorce, and there are many states that look at divorce like this. The states are: Arizona, California, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and Washington. The community property rule does not count inheritances or gifts the couple received during the marriage. â€Å"People facing divorce sometimes do not get what they deserve, because they are anxious to get it over with, or they hope to reconcile and do not want to alienate their spouse, or they want to get back at their spouse for real or imagined wrongs† (Fowles 5). The other way that states divide up the married couples possess ions... ... people emotionally, financially, and it can be very stressful for anyone to handle. The laws around divorce can be very confusing and if the couples do not know their way around the laws. They could end up spending a lot more on the divorce than they needed to. Annotated bibliography Beech, Hannah. â€Å"Breaking Up is Easy to do.† Time World Magazine. Time, 30 Oct. 2006.Web. 17 Oct. 2011. D'antonio, William. â€Å"Walking the Walk on Family Values.† Boston News. The Boston Globe, 31 Oct. 2004. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. Didi, Tatlow. â€Å"Chinese Law Could Make Divorce Women Homeless.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. Divorce Staff. â€Å"Divorce Law and Separation Advice.† Free Divorce Information. 2011. Web. 14 Oct. 2011. Flowers, Deborah. â€Å"Dealing With the Financial Impact of Divorce.† About.com. About.com, 2011. Web. 17 Oct. 2011.

Anwar Chowdhury

The bishop tells a few returning soldiers â€Å"When the boys come back, they will not be the same; for they fought in a just cause: they lead the last attack on Anti-Christ. † The freshly-returned-home soldiers respond in what can almost be described as an angry tone ‘Vale's none of us the same! † The boys then continue on saying the various predicaments that they ran into throughout the terrors of the war and the nightmarish situations that presented homeless to the lads through various battles.The boys continue on saying â€Å"George lost both legs, bill is stone blind! † The Bishop, in an ironic response to the boys explanation of why they re changed the way they are, quickly remarks â€Å"The ways of God are strange! † With how this poem started off, the bishop claiming these boys will be different, the reader can only assume he would sympathize with the boys after hearing their struggles. Instead, the bishop simply exclaims â€Å"The ways of Go d are strange! This is irony.Another device used is the rhyme scheme which is seen throughout the poem. â€Å"New right to breed an honorable race, they have challenged death and dared him face to face. † The rhyme scheme strengthens the overwhelming emotion that Swanson is trying to heavily convey onto the readers. Both of these devices are used in great ways that very clearly bring forward the theme of â€Å"How war takes a toll on someone. † Caisson's poetry starts off with an excerpt of speech from a church bishop.