Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu used the discourse of the yinyang circle to show that interdependence was greater than independence. An excess of either the yin or the yang cause people to lose their proper nature and will result in unfavorable outcomes. Yin and yang are complete opposites, yet they are within each other. If a man was feeling too heated or too aggressive, then that meant he was dealing with too much of the yang. In order for that man to calm down and return to normal he needed to seek out his wife to receive more love and passion, more of the yin. The yinyang circle shows that all things in life are interdependent.

The discourse involved with Kongzi’s teachings is the triangle. The individuals at the bottom of the triangle depended on each other. They both have a duty to each other. Kongzi believed that people should exercise themselves to the fullest in all relationships and always display ren, or benevolence. He believed that there were two types of people, the junzi and the xiaoren. The junzi is always kind, the xiaoren only seeks what is profitable to him. However, by watching the junzi, the xiaoren can learn from them and begin to live right.

Mengzi’s rectangle is similar to the triangle, except at the top there is a magistrate along with the ruler. Those two work together to rule over the individuals. The bottom consists of the opposing individuals. Again, they interact with each other and depend on each other to live a fulfilling life and ultimately reach cultivation. Also, Mao Zedong believed in coming together and being dependent on each other in order to have a successful revolution. I believe that the emergence of capitalism has a lot to do with technology. When all of these discourses were the way of ruling people were mainly agricultural. People had to work together to survive. Now with so much technology there are many more jobs and opportunities to go into business.

Mao Zedong used many of the discourses already existing in China within the Cultural...