164 JSSSAYS SCIENTIFIC AND PHILOSOPHICAL. 



Greek thought is independent of any religious 

 elements which were contained in them, or lay 

 behind them. 



The main characteristics of Confucianism and 

 Taoism are clear enough, and are independent of 

 the question as to the authenticity of certain docu- 

 ments on which Sinologues are divided. 



Confucianism is primarily a system of conduct ; 

 Taoism is primarily a mystical philosophy. And, 

 whatever may have been the relation of their respec- 

 tive founders to one another, the documents which 

 remain to us represent two rival systems. The one 

 is moral, the other metaphysical. Confucianism is 

 recognized by the state as orthodox ; Taoism is a 

 heresy. Yet both were attempts to interpret and 

 to rationalize the religion out of which both grew. 

 Neither Lao-Tzu nor his younger contemporary, 

 Confucius, professed to be founders of systems. 

 They were rival interpreters, and the Confucianist 

 interpretation received State sanction. Hence 

 Confucianism has become " the religion of China 

 par excellence!' l Mons. Edgar Quinet's account of 

 it is worth quoting. He says 



" Rationalism is the religion of China ; positive faith the 

 only heresy ; the strong-minded man the only pontiff. . . . 

 Its principles are the equality of all its members, intellect 

 is the sole ground of pre-eminence, personal merit the 

 sole aristocracy. Everything there is exactly measured, cal- 



1 Legge, Sacred Books, III. pref. xiii. 



