Confucius: Filial Piety In Chinese Culture

In the 5th century BCE, China was in a state of _. A philosophy, Confucius, gave voice to a philosophy of harmonious hierachy. Despite the little we know of this figure's life, we know of his stance on tradition and discipline.

His ruler, a duke, was a frivolous sovereign, and in his disappointment, Confucius left court. His focus on ritual propriety, the Li, influenced his entire body of work, and coloured his views on how all social relationships ought be conducted. He believed in a society with a rigid structure, a contract between peoples, in which protection was reciprocated with loyalty, and all relationships should strive towards sincerity and sacrifice. Confucius had basic principles on which all relationships should be based:

It is no exaggeration to say that it was the very foundation of the hierarchical structure of the Chinese family and thus of the Chinese society as a whole.” (Teon, /. Aris. “Filial Piety (孝) in Chinese Culture.” The Greater China Journal. February 20, 2017. Accessed April 23, 2017. https://china-journal.org/2016/03/14/filial-pietyin-chinese-culture/.5) Asian philosophy is often geared toward harmony and discipline over democracy and individualism, like in the west. The next of the important relationships is father to son. Family is moral embryo, a microcosm of society as a whole. This relationship is based on the idea of xiao, or filial piety. It is moral duty toward elders and parents, meaning one must have reverence and devotion toward them. Food is often picked as a metaphor in stories of children giving back to the parents; they fed us, and in return we should obey them in our youth, look after them in their senility, mourn their death, and make sacrifices in their honorary memory. “In early China, besides expressing love or care, the presentation of food, or by extension material support, creates obligation. If one feeds a man, he is obligated to repay your