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Confucianism and Nature
While Taoism is known to have a deep connection with nature, Confucianism also has some terms and attitudes about nature. "Confucians are more actively engaged in working with nature, especially in agricultural processes, while Taoists are more passive toward nature, wanting to experience its beauty and mystery without interfering in its rhythms" (Ecology And Confucianism).
Some Confucianist attitudes may be characterized as:
- Embracing an anthropocosmic worldview
- Affirming nature as having inherent moral value
- Protecting nature as the basis of a stable agricultural society
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Encouraging human self-realization to be achieved in harmony with nature ( Ecology And Confucianism).
Confucianists expressed their views and attitudes in arts and music. The article "Confucian Principles in Chinese Painting: Beginner's Guide" decodes symbols in Chinese paintings, such as trees and plants, animals, mountains, and water. A famous example is the painting "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" by Ximeng Wang, born in 1096 AD, an art student of a Song dynasty emperor. Below is part of this long painting (20 inches by 39 feet). You can click the painting below to see the complete, high-definition painting.
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