Essay --

Daoism and Confucian views were important for the development and shaping of human beings. The existence of Confucian and Daoist among the eastern Asian countries has helped to explain their theories. Both authors has differences and similarities in their views of self-cultivation and self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is when a person is aware of their own abilities, limitations, and feelings. Basically just knowing ones self, how one might react to or handle different situations, and how one feel about things. Self-cultivation is what a person whats to improve or educate themselves. And, there was art and nature which played a major role in their theories. They were said to have helped shaping of mankind as we know it. Even though Confucian and Daoist views differ in the concept of self-knowledge and concur on their focus on self-culture, they still acknowledge that nature and art are important for their theories. Self-cultivation is necessary their teachings both agree that people are responsible for their personal life, individual development, and self improvement. Daoism and Confucianism are similar is that they both focus on self-cultivation. As long as a person is self-cultivated, they're able to improve or educate themselves. In Confucius, "Leaving virtue without proper cultivation; not thoroughly discussing what is learned; not being able to move towards righteousness of which a knowledge is gained; and not being able to change what is not good:-these are the things which occasion me solicitude† (Confucius). In Confucius, a person better himself or herself and is satisfied throughout one's existence on earth. In Daoism, a person achieves self-cultivation through nature. Self-cultivation leads to improvement of t... ...es the will† (Mencius). In Mencius, it is said that self-knowledge is the praise of one's nature, and that nature is what is known known and is what results in self-cultivation and self-knowledge . Through the means of art, the ideas of a person knowing one's self is expressed. Confucianism and Daoism seem to be complete polar opposites but there are some similarities between the two. Both Daoist and Confucius shared the idea self-cultivation which leads a person to self-improvement. They differ in their ideas of self-knowledge; how one knows one's self. Having self-knowledge helps you to channel that energy and focus your attention on those self-improvements. Knowing one's short-comings, strengths, and weaknesses, can help to make changes in one's life that will lead to happiness. It is safe to say that Daoist and Confucius has similarities and differences.