Filial Piety’s Role in Ancient China

In the 18th century, China was influenced by various teachings of philosophers and beliefs that the society had placed emphasis on. Filial piety (xiao) was a major practice around this period when it was strongly carried inside and outside the household. Filial piety is not only the guiding principle of Chinese ethics but it also played an affirmative role in determining the Chinese lifestyle; it was practiced daily in the family and in other areas such as education, religion and government. It was the central root of Chinese morals and the society was constructed upon the principles of xiao, which certainly became the premises of Chinese culture and the society. In Confucianism, the approach of respect, fidelity, and care toward one’s parents and elder family members is the origin of individual ethical behaviour and social agreement. One must put the needs of parents and family elders over self, spouse, and children (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011). Many philosophers and rulers such as Mencius and Chu Hsi also focused on filial piety, applying the virtue to marital life, family, death, and politics. Filial piety was demonstrate in various literatures such as “Dream of the Red Chamber”, “Six Records of a Floating Life”, and “The Classic of Filial Piety” which demonstrated the roles of individuals in Chinese society including politics.

Filial piety is as closely associated with Confucius teaching as it is one of the virtues of Confucianism. Confucius once said, “Among human practices, none is greater than xiao” (Chan, Alan Kam-Leung; Tan, Sor-hoon). There is no doubt that filial piety remained the important aspect of Chinese society, where as the philosophers such as Confucius strongly pushed forward the idea of filial piety. A ...

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...Mencius, and Chu Hsi emphasises the practice of filial piety and in their literatures and proclamations they made the rituals clear. The practice was widely spread where even in literature such as “Dream of the Red Chamber”, “The Classic of Filial Piety”, and “Six Records of Floating Life”, which all demonstrated the rules and examples of filial piety where the family members demonstrated filial roles towards the elders in the family. In terms of education the children showed filial piety through high education which meant greater reputation for the parents. Those who were successful in their education and career the society praised not just the children but the parents as well, which meant a lot to the parents. Also in the politics, it was essential for the society to show loyalty and respect to the ruler as the ruler held the greatest importance in the society.