Comparison of the Differences and Similarities Between the View of "Harmony Between Man and Tian" in the Analects and the Tao Te Ching
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The concept of the harmony between man and Tian is an ideological core and spiritual wealth of Chinese culture, and this paper traces the interpretations and attitudes of Confucianism and Taoism towards the connotation of the harmony between man and Tian (refers to sky, nature, or earth) respectively. This paper compares the idea of the harmony between man and Tian in the Analects and the Tao Te Ching in terms of the object of emulating Tian, the understanding and interpretation of Tian, and the path of the harmony between man and Tian. Confucianism focuses on Tian's order and human relationships, emphasizing that man should achieve harmony between man and Tian through moral cultivation and the practice of Tian's order, whereas Taoism focuses on the way of Tian, advocating the rule of inaction and the practice of simplicity, and the harmony between man and Tian and earth in a way that conforms with Tian. Analysis of the Confucian-Taoist idea of the harmony between man and Tian can reveal this idea's far-reaching influence on Chinese traditional culture and enhance cultural confidence.
Author: Chenghou Li
Institution: Beijing National Day School
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4410350174