A Comparative Study Of Confucian And Taoist Views Of Sages In The Pre-Qin Period

The word "sage" appears frequently in pre-Qin classics.Sometimes,even if it is not mentioned directly,its connotation is deeply immersed in the thoughts they want to express.According to the needs of The Times,it is the characteristics of Confucianism and Taoism in the pre-Qin period to endow the word "sage" with different meanings.This article starts from the pre-Qin Confucianists Confucius,Mencius and Xunzi’s respective views on sages.The fundamental goal of pre-Qin Confucianism is to guide the people to the direction of the most beautiful and the most good,so it created the image of the "sage",hoping to implement the benevolent government and the rule of virtue through the hands of the sage,so as to realize its political ideal.From personal cultivation to social dedication,the Confucianists’ requirements for sages in the pre-Qin period,the great sense of national responsibility and the sense of social norms all reflect the strong norms and abundant social responsibility for individuals.His sage thought is not only enlightening to the development of society,but also helpful to the realization of individual value.As the other side of the contrast,it is based on the saintly views in Lao Tzu and Zhuangzi.On the one hand,the sage in Laozi and Zhuangzi is still the image of the ruler;But on the other hand,I hope to teach you how to apply "Tao" to the world through the enlightenment of "sages",so as to solve all the suffering caused by the deviation of understanding in the world.The saint becomes the incarnation of the way of heaven,and his words and actions are all things that we can peep into,which we can learn and understand.The pre-Qin Taoism’s pursuit of self,the awakening of personal consciousness and the pursuit of self-liberation are all worthy of repeated taste.Its broad world outlook reflects its broad mind,which can trigger profound thinking even now.This paper analyzes and summarizes the similarities and differences of the Confucian and Taoist views on sages in the pre-Qin period by combing the classical literature "The Analects of Confucius","Mencius","Xunzi","Laozi" and "Zhuangzi",and further clarifies the value orientation of Confucianism and Taoism and provides certain guidance for the social reality.