Assignment 2: Comparative Essay — Confucianism and Taoism
REL 6200 / PHIL 6310: Comparative Eastern Philosophies and Religions | Graduate Level | Spring 2026
1. Assignment Background and Context
Among the most enduring and influential philosophical traditions to emerge from ancient China, Confucianism and Taoism (Daoism) have shaped East Asian thought, governance, ethics, and spirituality for more than two millennia. Though they developed within the same cultural milieu and share certain cosmological assumptions, the two traditions diverge sharply in their prescriptions for the individual, society, and the cosmos. Confucianism, rooted in the teachings of Kong Qiu (Confucius, 551–479 BCE), prioritizes social harmony, ethical self-cultivation, and hierarchical order. Taoism, attributed to the legendary Laozi and formalized in texts such as the Tao Te Ching, centers on spontaneous alignment with the natural order of the universe — the Tao — and a retreat from imposed social structures.
At the graduate level, engaging with these traditions demands more than surface-level description. You are expected to demonstrate critical analytical depth: to interrogate assumptions, engage with primary and secondary sources, and situate these philosophies within their historical, cultural, and intellectual contexts. This assignment asks you to move beyond a simple listing of similarities and differences toward a nuanced, thesis-driven comparative argument.
2. Task Description
Write a 1,050–1,400-word comparative analytical essay in which you critically examine Confucianism and Taoism across at least three of the following thematic dimensions:
- Cosmology and the origin of the universe
- The nature and role of the divine or the ultimate (Tao, Heaven, ancestral spirits)
- Human nature and the moral self
- Social ethics, relationships, and political philosophy
- The concept of good and evil (duality, moral cultivation)
- Salvation, spiritual liberation, and the afterlife
- Gender, status, and social hierarchy within each tradition
Your essay must advance a clear, arguable thesis that goes beyond stating that the two traditions “differ in many ways.” Your thesis should make a specific claim about the nature, significance, or implications of those differences and/or shared foundations.
You are required to engage with at least four scholarly sources, including at least one primary text from each tradition (e.g., the Analects, the Tao Te Ching) and at least two peer-reviewed secondary sources published since 2000.
3. Learning Outcomes Assessed
Upon successful completion of this assignment, students will demonstrate ability to:
- Critically analyze the philosophical and religious dimensions of two major Chinese thought traditions at a graduate level of scholarly rigor
- Construct a coherent, thesis-driven comparative argument supported by textual and scholarly evidence
- Synthesize primary and secondary sources in a manner consistent with APA 7th Edition standards
- Evaluate the historical, social, and ethical implications of Confucian and Taoist worldviews
- Demonstrate nuanced academic writing appropriate to postgraduate discourse in the humanities and social sciences
4. Specific Requirements
4.1 Structure and Content
- Introduction (approx. 150–200 words): Provide context for both traditions, introduce the thematic dimensions you will analyze, and state your thesis clearly.
- Comparative Body (approx. 700–900 words): Develop your argument across at least three thematic areas. Each area should be addressed in a coherent paragraph or set of paragraphs. Avoid organizing your essay purely as “all about Confucianism, then all about Taoism” — integrate comparison throughout your analysis.
- Conclusion (approx. 150–200 words): Synthesize your argument and reflect on the broader significance of these two traditions — historically, culturally, or in contemporary ethical discourse.
4.2 Sources and Citation
- Minimum of four scholarly sources; at least one primary text from each tradition
- All in-text citations and the reference list must follow APA 7th Edition format
- Wikipedia, course blogs, or unverified web content are not acceptable as academic sources
- Direct quotations must be used sparingly and must always be followed by analysis
4.3 Formatting
- Word count: 1,050–1,400 words (body text only; title page and references excluded)
- Font: Times New Roman or Calibri, 12pt; double-spaced; 1-inch margins
- Title page: Student name, course number, assignment title, instructor name, institution, date
- Running head and page numbers in accordance with APA 7th Edition formatting guidelines
- Submitted as a single .docx or .pdf file via the course LMS
4.4 Academic Integrity
All submitted work must be your own. Any form of plagiarism — including paraphrasing without attribution, submitting previously graded work, or using AI-generated text as your own — constitutes a violation of the university’s academic integrity policy and may result in a failing grade for the course. Submissions will be processed through plagiarism detection software. If you are uncertain about proper citation practices, consult the APA manual or speak with the university writing center before submitting.
5. Grading Rubric / Marking Criteria
Total: 100 points
| Criterion | Excellent (90–100%) | Proficient (75–89%) | Developing (60–74%) | Insufficient (<60%) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis and Argument | Thesis is specific, arguable, and intellectually sophisticated. Argument is consistently sustained throughout the essay. | Thesis is clear and arguable. Argument is mostly sustained with minor lapses. | Thesis present but vague or overly descriptive. Argument is partially sustained. | No identifiable thesis or sustained argument. Essay is primarily descriptive. | 25% |
| Comparative Analysis | Three or more thematic dimensions are analyzed with genuine depth and integration. Comparison is woven throughout, not segmented. | At least three themes addressed. Comparison is mostly integrated with some segmentation. | Fewer than three themes, or themes are addressed descriptively rather than analytically. | Little to no comparative analysis. Traditions treated separately without meaningful engagement. | 30% |
| Engagement with Sources | Four or more appropriate scholarly sources used skillfully. Primary texts from both traditions are cited with precision and contextual awareness. | Four sources used; primary texts present. Citation is accurate with minor gaps. | Fewer than four sources; primary texts missing or used superficially. | Fewer than two sources; no engagement with primary texts. | 20% |
| Academic Writing and Structure | Essay is fluent, logically organized, and written at a high graduate standard. Paragraphs are well-constructed and transitions are seamless. | Writing is clear and organized. Occasional structural or stylistic weaknesses do not impede meaning. | Writing is adequate but inconsistent. Organization is sometimes unclear. | Writing is disorganized, difficult to follow, or significantly below graduate standard. | 15% |
| APA Formatting and Citation Accuracy | All citations and reference list entries are fully compliant with APA 7th Edition. Formatting requirements are met throughout. | Minor APA errors that do not obscure meaning or misattribute sources. | Multiple APA errors; some sources missing from reference list. | APA format not applied or citations absent. | 10% |
6. Instructor Guidance Notes
Graduate-level comparative writing requires more than accurate description of two subjects. You are expected to make an argument — to take a scholarly position and defend it. Ask yourself: what does the comparison reveal that looking at either tradition alone would not? For example, you might argue that while both Confucianism and Taoism respond to conditions of social disorder in ancient China, they prescribe fundamentally different relationships between the individual and collective. That kind of claim invites analysis rather than summary.
Resist the temptation to treat either tradition as monolithic. Both Confucianism and Taoism have evolved considerably over centuries and across different schools of thought. Where possible, acknowledge this internal diversity while still maintaining a focused argument. Engaging with at least one scholarly article that addresses a specific school or period within either tradition will strengthen your analysis considerably.
The Tao Te Ching and the Analects are both available in multiple scholarly translations. Cite the translator and edition you use; do not rely on unpaginated online versions without verifiable publication details.
Sample Answer Study Bay (Illustrative Excerpt — Not a Model Essay)
Confucianism and Taoism emerged from the same ancient Chinese cultural landscape, yet they prescribe strikingly different paths toward a well-lived life — one rooted in social virtue and moral cultivation, the other in withdrawal from artifice and alignment with the natural order. Where Confucius located moral progress in the structured relationships between individuals — ruler and minister, parent and child, husband and wife — Laozi’s Tao Te Ching treated those very structures with suspicion, suggesting that imposed social order corrupts rather than improves the human being. The tension between these positions is not merely abstract: it maps onto enduring debates about whether human flourishing is achieved through active engagement with society or through a kind of disciplined disengagement from it. On the question of human nature, Confucianism holds that people are inherently capable of goodness and that ritual, education, and the modeling of virtue allow that goodness to be actualized. Taoism, by contrast, treats the cultivated social self as a departure from an original spontaneity that is closer to the Tao than any scholar or courtier could hope to be. As Littlejohn (2011) notes, the Confucian and Taoist traditions can be read as complementary responses to the same political crises of the Warring States period, each offering a framework for restoring coherence to a fractured world. Despite their divergence on method, both traditions ultimately converge on a shared aspiration: the cultivation of a human being who is genuinely at peace with the order — or non-order — of the cosmos.
Citation note: Littlejohn, R. L. (2011). Confucianism: An introduction. I.B. Tauris.
References / Learning Materials
- Littlejohn, R. L. (2011). Confucianism: An introduction. I.B. Tauris. https://doi.org/10.5040/9781472594839
- Kohn, L. (2019). Introducing Daoism (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429467127
- Angle, S. C., & Tiwald, J. (2017). Neo-Confucianism: A philosophical introduction. Polity Press. https://www.wiley.com/en-us/9780745662022
- Ames, R. T., & Hall, D. L. (2003). Daodejing: A philosophical translation. Ballantine Books. [Primary text — authoritative scholarly translation]
- Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2020). Confucianism. In Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/
