Rethinking the Relationship between Confucianism and Daoism

An Thematic Comparative Analytical Study

Abstract

The relationship between Confucianism and Daoism has long been interpreted through two competing frameworks: one emphasizing fundamental opposition and the other proposing unity within difference. This paper evaluates these interpretive models through a comparative thematic study of shared philosophical categories, including Dao, De, Ren, Wu Wei and the presents the mutual perceptions of their respective main figures. By analyzing classical sources alongside major modern scholarly interpretations, the study argues that Confucianism and Daoism represent divergent yet internally related developments within a shared intellectual tradition. Their differences arise primarily from levels of discourse and philosophical orientation rather than structural contradiction. The paper concludes that the “unity in difference” model provides a more coherent explanatory framework for understanding the historical and conceptual relationship between the two traditions.