“The Way of Heaven has no favorites.
It is always with the good man.” (Tao Te Ching, 79)
At first, I found this statement absurd. I mean, isn't that contradictory that the "Way" has no favorites but still it was referred to be with the good man? How about the bad man? I thought there is no favoritism with that of the Way.
I think this one links the Confucian idea of the basic goodness of man to that of Lao Tzu's Taoism. Since ALL the human beings are good by nature, the idea that the Tao is always with the good man justifies that it doesn't go with any favorites, because in favoritism, there creates a favored side, and an not-favored side. And if there happens to be no not-favored side (for the fact that everybody is favored because everybody is good), there will be no favoritism; meaning the Way has no favorites.
The point of this statement, not only signifies the reconciliation of Confucianism to Taoism, but it focuses to the very thought, that indeed, human beings are good by nature. And since the Tao, is with the goodness of man, thus, justifies, it doesn't have any favorites.
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