In ancient times, why was it said that women without talent were virtue?

According to the textual research of Professor Liu Yongcong, a Hong Kong scholar, the source of the famous saying "A woman without talent is virtue" should be in the works of the Ming Dynasty. It is mainly believed that it is the words of Chen Jiru (Mei Gong) in the Ming Dynasty: "Women are literate, but those who can understand the righteousness are Gude, but they are rare; Others like to read songbooks and novels, fan the flames, and even make a scandal-free thing. Instead, it is better to be illiterate and keep silent. Chen Mei said, "A woman without talent is a virtue." You could say that. "

Liu Jiaoshou pointed out that the original sentence was "Men with virtue are talented, and women without talent are virtuous". Strictly speaking, Chen Jiru didn't say it himself, but was included in The Old Man's Speech by Chen. So it should be quoted by Chen from the "elder" generation.

Liu Jiaoshou further pointed out that although this sentence was born in the late Ming Dynasty, it has long been deeply rooted. The traditional view of talent and morality is its soil. "Virtue is more important than talent" is the belief of China people, regardless of gender. In addition, China people have always advocated that men should take "virtue" as the foundation and value "talent" over "virtue", so there is a saying that "a man with virtue is a talent". As for women, China people have always ignored their talents, but attached importance to their "women's virtue", fearing that "talents can hinder morality", so there is a saying that "women without talents are virtuous". The so-called "talent" in a broad sense certainly includes all kinds of talents and wisdom. However, in the past, China women's life circle was narrow, and they could not show their "talent" better than poetry and songs, so "talent" often refers to "literary talent" in a narrow sense.

Therefore, Liu Jiaoshou believes that it is better to study the cultural significance and social background than to regard the statement that "women are virtuous without talent" as an underestimation and strangulation of women's intelligence from a modern perspective. However, since the Qing Dynasty, there have been more women who can read and write than before, so there has been a discussion about women's "talent" and "virtue". This is also the prequel of women's struggle for rights in modern China.

References:

Associate Professor Luo Fenmei, General Education Center, Ming Chuan University, Taiwan Province Province, impression? 6? Four women? 6? 4 history "