The Vertical Relationship between Husband and Wife as Expressed in Feudal Morals

Abstract

Confucian morals in early modern Japan expounded the doctrine that there existed an absolute distinction as great as that between heaven and earth between husband and wife, and parents and child. Furthermore, they were qualitatively different, i.e., the husband was compared to the difference between “on” and “yo” the negative-female and positive-male elements in the universe, concepts of fundamental importance in Confucian doctrine. But this meant nothing other than that the husband had superior status. Accordingly, wife who was inherently inferior was required to be absolutely obedient to her husband who was inherently superior. This principle held true even if the husband were completely unreasonable in his conduct or demands.According to this doctrine husband and wife should be in accord with each other, and it was agreed that husband and wife were like a single body. But these were not doctrines proclaiming equality ; on the contrary, they rested upon the principle of cooperation between superior and inferior. The feudal morals governing the husband-wife relationship did not set a high value on mutual love perse.Buddhist doctrine makes a similar qualitative distinction between husband and wife or male and female. This Buddhist concept widely held and served reinforce the Confucian concept of female inferiority.The obedience of wife to her husband was regarded as one of “three obediences” (i. e. in childhood woman should obey her parents ; in marriage her husband; in old age her son). This lead to the view of woman as legally incompetent and denied her any moral autonomy.Although obedience of the wife was required, when her husband's parents were alive, this duty was subordinate to that of obedience to his parents. In this sense obedience to the husband was not absolute duty. The paramount feudal moral principle was that of filial duty.