Tao Te Ching Good Government Analysis

Meng Tzu, who was known in the west as Mencius, was a Chinese philosopher. He was “the most important figure in the development of Confucianism” (Mencius 94), which was a system of rites, rituals and social observances. Confucianism was the official state religion of china for nearly two thousand years. He lived and wrote during one of the most spectacular eras of social upheaval that the world has ever known. During this period of time, there was a question that all philosophers were asking, “what is the best way to ensure political stability? “And the Confucians answer to this question is that “good government requires good leaders who honor their ancestors, observe the ancient rites, and act toward others with a spirit of rectitude and benevolence” (Mencius 94). Good government is a system that is run by good people with love and respect for everybody and everything. …show more content…
He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching. He wrote the Tao te Ching to give his disciples something to remember him by. The Tao te Ching has “a rhetorical style that combines two major strategies: short, declarative and intentional contradictions” (Tzu 158). The overall argument of the Tao te Ching is that human beings constitute a small part of a larger whole which is referred to in the reading as the Tao or the way. “Humans cannot change the way, it goes on with or without our presence” (Tzu 158).This falls within the lines of destiny. If something is meant to happen it will happen and human beings cannot stop it. Lao Tzu’s thoughts on government is of a ruler that will make changes or orders that works with the natural order of things. His thoughts compares those with democracy because he describes a ruler who does not make changes simply for the fact of making changes. They should make changes for the people. The ruler should work with and not against the natural order of the universe. The ruler should work with the people and not