Abstract
The concept of filial piety is not only a philosophical idea, but also a practical rule of ethics, which has persisted to the present time and is clearly reflected in nowadays’ societies of East Asia. The aim of this article, concerning filial piety in imperial China, is to reveal the peculiarities of and the consensuses and contradictions in the conception and interpretation of filiality in Orthodox Confucianism and popular practices, as well as in Buddhism and Daoism. The study is a novelty in Lithuanian sinology as it offers a wide view on the subject, discovering its manifestations in all the three main teachings. It is an exploratory work of original sources, with some references to available studies of Western scholars. It concludes by saying that filial piety found its prominent place in most of the teachings and certainly made a great impact on nowadays’ East Asian cultures.
Highlights
The concept of filial piety is a philosophical idea, and a practical rule of ethics, which has persisted to the present time and is clearly reflected in nowadays' societies of East Asia
It concludes by saying that filial piety found its prominent place in most of the teachings and certainly made a great impact on nowadays' East Asian cultures
The concept of filial piety is noted in one simple character 1f:. , which can be etymologically explained as an elder person supported by a child or, to be more exact, a son
Summary
The concept of filial piety is noted in one simple character 1f:. (xiao) , which can be etymologically explained as an elder person supported by a child or, to be more exact, a son. Filial piety entered more and more frequently the written documents of ancient China Foremost these were the scripts of the Confucian tradition, which regarded obedience to one's parents as a natural attitude. Filial piety as a natural and fundamental relation between people found its place in almost all schools of Chinese thought It is only the legalist Han Feizi (~~F~; 3rd century B.C.) who openly despised xiao and stood for a total obedience to the state but not to parents. Sons and daughters were ready to surpass themselves in manifesting their devotion and love towards their parents Their extraordinary behavior, which sometimes even brought death, is possible to explain by the fact that in imperial China filial piety was regarded as an absolute virtue. Further on I will examine some Confucian classics concerning filial piety and compare philosophical attitude with popular practices
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