PHIL220
and transforming” (Brooks,
1998) if, of course, it is
infused with utter sincerity.
Filial piety (xiào) is a virtue
of respect for one’s parents,
elders and ancestors and
is considered to be the
most important source
of
Confucian
values.
Whilst humaneness is the
ultimate goal, the family is
the crucible of virtue. The
essential role of family is
epitomized when Youzi,
expressing the views of his
master, remarks: “When
the root is established, the
Way issues forth” (Gardner,
2014). Here, filial piety is
the root of all other virtues
and the initial step towards
moral
excellence.
The
Book of Rites outlines the
responsibilities associated
with filial piety, urging a filial
son to nourish his parents
by making “their hearts glad
and not to go against their
will.” Confucius insists that
to embody the family in the
mind and heart, it cannot
be merely a question of
blind loyalty. As with ritual
practice, the feeling behind
the form is essential, as the
outer filial behaviour must
be the faithful expression
of a genuine inner feeling
(Gardner, 2014).
Furthermore, family is the
source of moral cultivation
of the individual. Confucius
stresses that family is
a microcosm of society
and is the basis for an
ideal government. Family,
therefore, is a fundamental
source of Confucian value
as it is the locus for learning
about human relationships
and the norms that govern
them. It is here that, ideally,
we are inculcated in those
values
and
practices
that make a harmonious
Confucian society possible:
obedience and respect
for authority, deference
to seniority, affection and
kindness toward the infirm
and young, and so forth
(Gardner, 2014). Hence, for
Confucius, family ethics is
not merely a private concern.
Fraternal respect and taking
care of family affairs is itself
an active part of politics. It
is an authoritative source
of Confucian value as the
public good is realised by
and through it.
family is an indispensable
source of value because the
ultimate Confucian goal is
social harmony, rather than
individual cultivation.
In conclusion, the source of
Confucian values is primarily
found in a set of ethical
ideas orientated towards
practice. We have seen that
the notions of li and rén are
fundamental, action-guiding
sources of Confucian values
as together, they enable
conversion of oneself in to
a participant in a tradition
who pays due regard to the
claims of others. However,
I consider family to be the
most important source of
Conf ucian value. Confucius
clings to a feudal form of
society and claims that
through family, we can
understand the hierarchical
social
arrangement
of
people where there are clear
status differentiations and
roles so that everyone has a
place, and knows it. A good
person is one who carries
out his social role; when
each person in the hierarchy
conscientiously fulfils the
duties demanded by his
defined role, harmony of the
whole results. Therefore,
Lau, D. C. (2000) ‘Confucius’
in:
Concise
Routledge
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
London: Routledge, pp. 162166.
23
References
Brooks, E. B. (1998) The
Original Analects: Sayings of
Confucius and His Successors.
New York: Columbia University
Press.
Gardner,
D.
K.
(2014)
Confucianism: A Very Short
Introduction. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Reigel, J. (2013) ‘Confucius’
in: Zalta, E. (ed.) The Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
[Online] Available from:
(Accessed 8th November
2015.)
Shun, K. (1993) ‘Jen and Li
in the Analects’ in Philosophy
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University Press, pp.457-479.
Theodore, B. D. (1960)
‘Analects’ in: Sources of
Chinese Tradition. New York:
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Weiming,
T.
(2015)
‘Confucianism’
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Encyclopedia
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http://www.britannica.com/
topic/Confucianism. (Accessed
10th November 2015.)