Three Chinese Philosophies

Three main schools of thought in Chinese philosophies are Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism.

“The major Confucian concepts include rén (humanity or humaneness), zhèngmíng (rectification of names; e.g. a ruler who rules unjustly is no longer a ruler and may be dethroned), zhōng (loyalty), xiào (filial piety), and lǐ (ritual).”

“Taoism advocated nonaction (wu wei), the strength of softness, spontaneity, and relativism. Its main motto is: “If one must rule, rule young” Most of Taoism’s focus is on what is perceived to be the undeniable fact that human attempts to make the world better, actually make the world worse.”

“Although Buddhism originated in India, it has had the most lasting impact on China. They investigate consciousness, levels of truth, whether reality is ultimately empty, and how enlightenment is to be achieved.”

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