Neo-Confucianism was a revived version of old Confucian principles that appeared around the Song Dynasty, with Buddhist, Taoist, and Legalist features.

Although meritocracy as a term is a relatively recent invention, the concept of a government based on standardized examinations originates from the works of Confucius, along with other Legalist and Confucian philosophers.

For most of the history of China, its legal system has been based on the Confucian philosophy of social control through moral education, as well as the Legalist emphasis on codified law and criminal sanction.

Although the Confucian ideology provided the fundamentals for the substance of traditional law, the Legalist school constructed the important framework of the traditional legal system.

Ideological antipathy towards the Legalist State of Qin was established as early as 266 BC, when Confucian philosopher Xun Zi disparaged it.

However, both ancient and modern Confucian observers of Chinese politics have argued that some Legalist ideas have merged with mainstream Confucianism and still play a major role in government.

In other words, Confucian values are used to sugarcoat the harsh Legalist ideas that underlie the Imperial system.

The Confucian thinker Xun Zi is sometimes considered as being influenced by or having nourished Legalist ideas, mostly because of two of his disciples ( Li Si and Han Fei ).

His political philosophy can best be described by the Chinese idiom " Confucian in appearance but Legalist in substance " (), a style of governing which had become the norm after the founding of the Han Dynasty.

In particular, the School of Scholars ( i. e. the Confucian School ) was born from the officials of the Ministry of Education ; the Taoists came from the historians ; the Ying Yang School was born from the astronomers ; the Legalist School from the Ministry of Justice ; the School of Names from the Ministry of Rituals ; the Mohist School from the Guardians of the Temple ; the School of Diplomacy from the Ministry of Embassies ; the School of Miscellaneous from the government counselors ; the School of Agriculture from the Ministry of the Soil and Wheat ; the School of Minor Talks from the minor officials.

Throughout Chinese political and intellectual history, the Confucian view on law was frequently contrasted in discourse and practice with Chinese Legalist philosophy.

It incorporates elements of both Legalist and Confucian traditions of social order and governance.

During this stage, law was marked by a purely Legalist spirit, hostile to the moral values advocated by the Confucian school.

The Code synthesised Legalist and Confucian interpretations of law.

According to Ge ’ s own account, he wrote the " Inner Chapters " to argue for the reality and attainability of divine transcendence, while the " Outer Chapters " blends Confucian and Legalist rhetoric to propose solutions for the social and political problems of his era.

Certainly many entries of the Man ' yōshū have a continental tone, earlier poems having Confucian or Taoist themes and later poems reflecting on Buddhist teachings.

There is today a balance between outside influences of Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, Abrahamic, Hindu and secular beliefs.

These accounts were written with two purposes in mind: the introduction of Taoist, Confucian, and Buddhist themes into Japanese religion ; and garnering support for the legitimacy of the Imperial house, based on its lineage from the sun goddess, Amaterasu.

The Qing Dynasty ( 1644 – 1912 ), however, much favored Confucian classics over Taoist works.

While almost all Taoist organizations make use of the yin and yang symbol, one could also call it Confucian, Neo-Confucian or pan-Chinese.

The concept of the taiji (" supreme ultimate "), in contrast with wuji (" without ultimate "), appears in both Taoist and Confucian Chinese philosophy, where it represents the fusion or mother of Yin and Yang into a single ultimate, represented by the taijitu symbol.

Whereas the Taoist philosophical paradigm had promoted scientific and mathematical investigation as a kind of mystical exploration of the workings of the universe, the Confucian paradigm focused far more on social philosophy and morality, which prompted a general lack of further research in mathematics and natural sciences.

Part of Confucian and Taoist practices involved veneration of one's ancestors.

A scholar serving as an official would usually follow Confucian teachings, but at leisure or in retirement might seek harmony with nature as a Taoist recluse.

Moreover, Confucianism is not necessarily regarded as a religion, allowing one to be a Taoist, Christian, or Buddhist and still profess Confucian beliefs.

* Classical Chinese, the language of older Chinese literature and the Confucian, Taoist, and in East Asia also of the Mahayana Buddhist sacred texts, which also differs markedly from contemporary spoken Mandarin.

** Chinese Confucian Network's Taoist Section

Many larger services held annually mostly revolve around filial piety, along with the Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian philosophy of worshiping one's parents and ancestors.

In that sect, Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist beliefs were combined based on their usefulness in self-cultivation.

Lewis calls this the Tao ( which closely resembles Confucian and Taoist usage ).

The irony was that the intellectual techniques, textual methods and cultural strategies used by nativist scholars against Confucianism borrowed heavily from currents in both Chinese thought ( Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist ) and their Japanese offshoots.

The three have been described as Buddhist recluse, Taoist immortal and Confucian sage respectively.

The Dazu Rock Carvings () are a series of Chinese religious sculptures and carvings, dating back as far as the 7th century AD, depicting and influenced by Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist beliefs.

Thomas Cleary ( born 1949 ) is a prolific author and translator of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and Muslim classics, and of the Chinese Art of War tradition of strategy and statecraft.

It is derived from the ritual music of Taoist and Confucian ceremonies from the 14th century.

The same word Tao has been used by the Taoist and Confucian traditions to describe the broad patterns of the universe, life, and humanity as well as ritual or religious manifestation.

* Online Confucian Taoist Learning

A much larger version, with much more ornate decoration, symbolizing a mythical fish, whose sounds is supposed to attract divinity, is used in Taoist and Confucian ceremonies.

* 237 BC – Xun Zi, Confucian philosopher who has contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought ( b. c. 310 BC )

* Xun Zi, Confucian philosopher who has contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought ( b. c. 310 BC )

Confucian Thought: Selfhood As Creative Transformation.

312 – 230 BC ) was a Chinese Confucian philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought.