Filial piety is a Confucian concept that emphasizes the hierarchical relationship between family members, with elders and men ranking higher. It involves respecting and caring for family members, including ancestors, and is linked to other concepts such as altruism and righteousness. Parents have the responsibility of providing for their children, while children should be obedient and take advantage of opportunities. The concept originated with Confucius in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC and is still widely practiced today.
Filial piety, or xiao, is a concept originating in Confucianism that outlines how family members should interact with one another. It is based on a hierarchical relationship, where parents and older family rank higher than children and younger family members, and men rank higher than women. In the Confucian system, those of higher status have the responsibility of caring for and uplift those of lower status, and those of lower status in turn have the responsibility of respecting and obeying those of higher status. There are also a number of related concepts in Confucianism, including ren, or altruism, and yi, or righteousness, as well as concepts of state governance.
Basic principles
At its most basic, filial piety is relating appropriately to one’s family members. For young family members, this includes respecting elders, obeying them, caring for them as they age, counseling them as needed, and loving them. For those who are older, it includes providing for the younger ones, raising them properly, giving them the opportunities they need to succeed, and teaching them how to be a good person. It is seen as the concrete application of the love that is seen to exist naturally between family members. All the principles of xiao apply to both living and dead family members.
Practical application
In practice, xiao breaks down into several key responsibilities. Parents and elders have the responsibility to provide for the children and raise them so that they have proper suzhi, or cultivation. This includes giving them all possible opportunities, such as enrolling them in good schools, paving the way for them to get a job, or buying them things and giving them money. Additionally, older adults often take care of grandchildren or other younger family members if the parents work or study. For this reason, many Chinese live with several generations of family members.
In return for care and material possessions, children and younger family members are expected to be obedient and take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by their elders. By doing this and being successful, they can bring pride or face to the family, so their parents can see that their work and growth has paid off. Younger family members are also expected to care for their parents as they grow older and no longer work, and to produce children to continue the family line.
In addition to relationships with living family members, filial piety is also required in relationships with ancestors. This usually takes the form of ancestor worship. Many families periodically visit their ancestors’ graves or shrines to provide them with food, money, or possessions they may need in the afterlife, and having a continuous family line is considered very important, as it ensures that there will always be someone to look after. those who die. Overall, ancestors are seen as supporters of China and need respect, as they can influence how the world works for the current generation.
Related concepts
The concept of filial piety is closely related to other Confucian concepts, including ren and yi. For example, if a child lacks ren, his elders have the responsibility in terms of xiao to help him develop it. These concepts may also override other obligations in some cases. For example, if a father was doing something wrong, then his son would be obligated by yi to correct it.
Rules for family relationships are also linked to beliefs about how a government or state should be run. In Confucianism, the family is taken as the model for the state, with the head as the father of the family and the subjects as children. As such, a country’s citizens are considered devoted to their leader, and he or she has a responsibility to care for them and teach them the proper course of action.
History
This concept originated with Confucius, who was a Chinese teacher and politician in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. His work formed a philosophy that later took on religious significance and is still widely practiced today. Xiao was first mentioned in The Classic of Filial Piety, which contains instructions on how to act in specific types of relationships. It is thought to date from around 3 BC.
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