EALC 275 PAPER 1
Comparison between a Confucian ruler and a Daoist ruler
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in 2016 for US president, has been addressing the radical Islamic terrorism issues in his election speech recently. According to BBC News on September 7, 2016, Donald Trump is planning to defeat the Islamic terrorists in 30 days when he comes to office in the White House. He is calling for more military weapons, more troops and planes to give IS a fast defeat.
Even though it seems to be another audacious promise that Mr Trump has made, a lot of people would have to agree with him on fighting a political correct war given all these terrorist events happening around the world. One might argue that fighting the war against the Islamic …show more content…
In a Daoist’s opinion, everything in the universe has its own developing path and pattern, which is the ‘order’ in their mind. According to the book, “Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.” III, 10 (p. 8), Daoism believes that order will come by doing nothing. Given all these crisis, wars and conflicts around the world, they are nothing but the consequences of too much human involvement and intervention. For example, China in 1960s suffered from huge social instability due to excessive and improper intervention of Chinese government. During the ‘Da Yue Jin’, Great Leap Forward (1958-1960), the government was attempt to modernize Chinese economy by setting unrealistic goals of steel and agricultural production, with thousands of millions of people died in starvation. Imagine if the US starts a war against Islamic States, the unemployment rate will rise, the capital market will be crowding out, the whole world would suffer from instability due to the chain effect in a globalization society. Therefore, a Daoist ruler will never instigate a war to obtain more public support, as it is going to disturb the social order and create more anxiety and …show more content…
Let people follow their own way and do everything naturally, the kingdom will follow naturally as well. In book XVII , “The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. Next comes the ruler they love and praise; Next comes one they fear……When his task is accomplished and his work done. The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’” –XVII, 39 (p. 12). That means the government should establish a lower presence relative to its people. For example, Macao’s government is relatively low-key and exerting less intervention to its people in comparison to Hong Kong. Macao is an good example of how a government should play the role of ‘guardian’. They never scream and yell for the so-called ‘independent’, nor making any empty promises to feed or satisfy its people. Similarly, in book XXVIII, it says “Know the male, but keep to the role of the female. Know the white, but keep to the role of the black. Know honour, but keep to the role of the disgraced. And be a valley to the empire” –XXVIII, 63 (p.15). It conveys the same idea that government should play the role of Yin and be the valley to the empire. It is the foundation of the peace and order of a society, rather than a scenemaker that tries to draw attention from the world by being loud and
Comparison between a Confucian ruler and a Daoist ruler
Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in 2016 for US president, has been addressing the radical Islamic terrorism issues in his election speech recently. According to BBC News on September 7, 2016, Donald Trump is planning to defeat the Islamic terrorists in 30 days when he comes to office in the White House. He is calling for more military weapons, more troops and planes to give IS a fast defeat.
Even though it seems to be another audacious promise that Mr Trump has made, a lot of people would have to agree with him on fighting a political correct war given all these terrorist events happening around the world. One might argue that fighting the war against the Islamic …show more content…
In a Daoist’s opinion, everything in the universe has its own developing path and pattern, which is the ‘order’ in their mind. According to the book, “Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.” III, 10 (p. 8), Daoism believes that order will come by doing nothing. Given all these crisis, wars and conflicts around the world, they are nothing but the consequences of too much human involvement and intervention. For example, China in 1960s suffered from huge social instability due to excessive and improper intervention of Chinese government. During the ‘Da Yue Jin’, Great Leap Forward (1958-1960), the government was attempt to modernize Chinese economy by setting unrealistic goals of steel and agricultural production, with thousands of millions of people died in starvation. Imagine if the US starts a war against Islamic States, the unemployment rate will rise, the capital market will be crowding out, the whole world would suffer from instability due to the chain effect in a globalization society. Therefore, a Daoist ruler will never instigate a war to obtain more public support, as it is going to disturb the social order and create more anxiety and …show more content…
Let people follow their own way and do everything naturally, the kingdom will follow naturally as well. In book XVII , “The best of all rulers is but a shadowy presence to his subjects. Next comes the ruler they love and praise; Next comes one they fear……When his task is accomplished and his work done. The people all say, ‘It happened to us naturally.’” –XVII, 39 (p. 12). That means the government should establish a lower presence relative to its people. For example, Macao’s government is relatively low-key and exerting less intervention to its people in comparison to Hong Kong. Macao is an good example of how a government should play the role of ‘guardian’. They never scream and yell for the so-called ‘independent’, nor making any empty promises to feed or satisfy its people. Similarly, in book XXVIII, it says “Know the male, but keep to the role of the female. Know the white, but keep to the role of the black. Know honour, but keep to the role of the disgraced. And be a valley to the empire” –XXVIII, 63 (p.15). It conveys the same idea that government should play the role of Yin and be the valley to the empire. It is the foundation of the peace and order of a society, rather than a scenemaker that tries to draw attention from the world by being loud and