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Stephanie Marquardt
Contemplation & Action
31 March 2015
Confucian vs. Taoist: Perspectives in Decision Making
Throughout this lifetime, we are all presented with decisions, both simple and
complex. Though we do not live in the age where Confucianism and Taoism were at their
most prevalent stages, we unconsciously reflect on them when making our own life
decisions. If given the chance to intervene in someone or something (such as a fish or a
bird) elses life, how can we go about figuring a solution from the perspectives of
Confucianism and Taoism? This paper will show speculations of on two different
questions pertaining to three scenarios presented during lecture.
When it comes to ones moral responsibility, we are faced with a multitude of
decisions. The following are questions that I pondered when reading through the three
different scenarios. Are we obligated to take action and intervene in life threatening
situations? Are we obliged to save someone or somethings life? Do we take the
intellectual approach (Confucianism) or do we leave everything up to fate (Taoism)? And
when it comes to intervening, are we doing so because we are different from other
creatures (ex. superiority) and/or otherwise endowed by God or evolution? Are we doing
so to assume responsibility or stewardship of the planet we live on?
The first situation we were given during lecture was about a baby being carried
down the river to death. From the point of a Confucian, you would have to come up with
a logical way to save the dying baby. I feel that a person who studies this practice would
care more about saving the baby and less about them drowning/getting attacked. There is

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a passage in the Analectics of Confucius that reads: There was a fire in the stables. When
the Master returned from court, he asked: Was anybody hurt? He didnt ask about the
horses. This passage describes a Confucian and their concern for others and their safety
and well being over that of them or another subject(s). A person with a background in
Confucianism would be obligated to try and save the life of the baby. From a Taoist
perspective, you would have to determine whether or not the forces of the universe would
be disturbed or if they would continue in their own generative cycle. A passage from The
Complete Works of Chuang Tzu reads, When Hui Tzu went to convey his
condolences, he found Chuang Tzu sitting with his legs sprawled out, pounding on a tub
and singing. Hui Tzu then says to Chuang Tzu that he is surprised at him for not crying
and mourning the death of his wife. Chuang Tzu explains to Hui Tzu that life was similar
to the passing seasons and that he had to come to terms with her fate. This passage
explains the Taoist perspective in a sense that it plays on the idea of life continuing on
even after death, similar to reincarnation, but not entirely.
The second situation that we were presented in lecture was about the construction
of a hydroelectric dam that would destroy the ecosystem of the endangered Irrawaddy
dolphins. From a Confucian standpoint, one would be morally obligated to bring this to
the attention of the construction company and/or other parties involved. If that should
fail, one would try and relocate the dolphins to a body of water or other ecosystem that
could support them and prevent them from becoming extinct. A passage from The Works
of Mencius, Book 1, and Part 1 from Chapter 7 explains this principle. It begins with the
king asking Mencius if he is a competent enough man to protect and love his people.
Mencius then agrees and tells him the story he heard about the king rescuing an ox that

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was meant as a sacrifice to a bell consecration. Mencius states, Your conduct was as an
act of benevolence. You saw the ox, and had not seen the sheep. Mencius continues to
tell the king about how he had felt compassion for the ox and thus saved it from
slaughter, whereas he had not seen the sheep and thus condemned it for sacrifice. From a
Taoist perspective, the solution is similar to that of saving the baby. A Taoist would
configure as to whether or not it would upset any balance or disrupt the wu xing, or
elemental cycle. The passage from the Huainanzi reads, Once upon a time a peasant had
a horse. This horse ran away, so the peasants neighbors came to console him for his bad
luck. He answered: Maybe. This elaborates on the Taoist ideology that fate is to be left
in decision making to prevent any upset in the balance of life, etc.
The third and final situation we discussed during lecture was about the
endangered Whooping Crane being on the brink of extinction due to over-hunting and
loss of habitat. From a Confucian perspective, one would be obligated to catch poachers
and/or people who were over-hunting and bring forth some type of justice. As for the loss
of habitat, it would be up to the individual and others to relocate the birds to a different
location or reestablish a suitable habitat. A line from Lao Tzus Tao Te Ching reads,
Though there are machines that can work ten to a hundred times faster than man, they
are not needed. This one line describes how Confucians can do things alone and do not
always need the help of others to make a big splash in a little pond. From the Taoist
standpoint, again, the decision would depend on the upsetting of balance or disruption of
the elemental cycle.
In finality, I both disagree and agree with the ideologies presented through
Confucianism and Taoism. There are some cases where moral responsibility and

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obligation to intervene are needed, but there are also cases where one should leave the
outcome up to fate and refrain from breaking the cycle and upsetting the natural balance
of things. I grew up with beliefs established in both of these practices. I knew when to
open my mouth and stand up for myself, etc. and I also knew when to bite my tongue and
prevent myself from disrupting any pre-established balance/order. The situation that I can
relate to these two practices happened this summer in June. It was right after I had
returned from NAIA Outdoor Track Nationals at the end of May and four days after
arriving, I almost lost my father. He had a blood clot break loose in his leg and it traveled
up to his heart and lungs and blocked them off. I performed CPR until the ambulance
arrived, followed them to the hospital and then drove all the way to Beaumont Hospital in
Troy, MI where they had flown him for surgery. I stayed many nights next to him,
praying that he would make it out alive and well. My mother had sat and prayed with me
when we returned home and had discussed with me that, in the event that he did not make
it out of surgery and post-op, we would be okay. She told me that things would be quite
difficult, I may have to quit college for a while, but we would make it out of this bad
situation. These situations are tough to make decisions on, but when it comes time to, it
all depends on the individuals mindset and pre-established beliefs and whether or not
they choose to stick with them or go against them.