The idea of caring for "filial piety" Do you not love your parents?

The word "filial piety" was first found in Oracle Bone Inscriptions unearthed in Yin Ruins. According to Shuo Wen Jie Zi, filial piety means "one who does good to parents". From the old province, from the son to the old. "It can be understood as: when I was a child, parents took care of their children. Children are growing up, parents are aging, and children serve their parents below, which embodies a spontaneous human concern between parents and children and exudes a deep warmth and tenderness.

However, when the ideal is put into practice, there will inevitably be deviations. Mr. Liang Shuming once concluded in "The Essentials of China Culture": "At first, when China organized the society with ethics, people with vision saw the feelings of truth, goodness and beauty of human beings, which originated from and was cultivated in the family. In China, people always see each other and forget themselves. Whenever a loving mother forgets herself for her children, so does a dutiful son. " Between husband and wife, between brothers, between friends, people with strong feelings should always think of each other, always pay attention to each other and put themselves down. "This is the performance of China's friendly society. However, when the beautiful ideal of filial piety entered the real life, its historical trend deviated from the ideal.

The Origin of Filial Piety: Not Simple Filial Piety

Blood relationship is the natural condition of filial piety. Parents love their children, and children love their parents in turn, all out of human nature. Knowing how to support parents and repay their life and health care is the innate conscience instinct of all mankind. "Life comes from the system, and the body comes from the system." The birth of this simple emotion between blood relations is the genetic significance of the concept of filial piety. This simple and beautiful emotional interaction between relatives not only shows a sense of the root of life, but also reflects the feelings that human beings originated from other species and are higher than them. Therefore, filial piety consciousness is a natural talent of human beings, and it is a parent-child relationship in the natural state before being bound by morality.

But when did filial piety, as a fixed ethical norm and moral concept, begin to be publicized, spread and deeply rooted in people's hearts?

From the social and economic point of view, it must have come into being after private ownership defeated public ownership and individual families were established. Because only after the birth of the family can there be all kinds of relationships in the family, and only with relationships can there be all kinds of rights and obligations. This is the social condition of filial piety. As Engels said: "All previous moral theories are, in the final analysis, the products of social and economic conditions at that time". Filial piety, as a moral concept, is also the product of social and economic development.

In the history of our country, according to the research of historians, a series of moral norms about "filial piety" were formed at the beginning of Zhou Dynasty. What did Xia Na people and businessmen do? First of all, there is no direct written information for us to understand the ethical thought of Xia Dynasty. According to some archaeological discoveries in line with the Xia Dynasty, the unearthed artifacts can reflect the material development of people at that time, and the living environment (fish pattern may mean being close to the water source and observing some beautiful symbolic meanings of fish) can at most show some aesthetic tastes of people at that time, but its ethical thoughts are relatively difficult to textual research. During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, Chinese characters were basically mature (bronze inscriptions, early maturity of Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Wen Mingzhen), and a developed bronze civilization appeared. Generally speaking, inscriptions on bronze records major events such as national sacrifice and conquest, as well as deeds of important roles and so on. Oracle Bone Inscriptions's numerous Oracle Bone Inscriptions shows the popularity of Yin people's concept of ghosts and gods. No matter how big or small, they always divine, and as soon as they divine, they record it on the tortoise shell. In contrast, some human thoughts and understandings have not been highlighted or discovered. But in the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was very different.

oracle bone script

The system of Zhou people is very different from that of merchants. On the one hand, it is the legislation system, on the other hand, it is the patriarchal clan system and funeral system, on the other hand, it is the feudal children system, the princes system and the temple name system. Third, the unmarried surname system. The reason for this number is world discipline. On yin and Zhou system

As we know, the patriarchal clan system was formed in the Western Zhou Dynasty, with blood as the link, forming a hierarchical difference in the patriarchal clan system, making the land under the heaven belong to the king, and the blood relationship was closely combined with the state form. In the General History of China's Ideological History edited by Hou Wailu, he pointed out: "Filial piety and virtue are the moral program of the Western Zhou Dynasty, and virtue is to heaven and filial piety is to ancestors, which is the characteristic of Zhou Dynasty ethics." In this way, morality, religion and politics are integrated. Therefore, the moral concept of filial piety, from the beginning of its emergence, is not a simple ethical concept, and has an inseparable relationship with politics.

Filial piety is one of the unique cultural landscapes of the Chinese nation, which is not found in Greek, Roman, Israeli or Indian cultural systems. China culture, as a culture of rites and music, especially emphasizes people's morality. So Mencius once said, "People are different from animals, so what hope is there?" ? What's the difference between man and beast? It is in the distinction of "morality or not" that people have morality, while animals don't know what morality is. Filial piety is an important criterion to judge whether the ancient people in China have "virtue", and it can even be said that it is the foundation of a person's life. In the era of "filial piety", the morbid "twenty-four filial piety" appeared; In the Ming dynasty, the stain on filial piety could even ruin a person's political future (Zhang had no worries and became an excellent handle for political opponents to attack him). So why is filial piety so important in China?

The development of the concept of "filial piety": the ethical view of isomorphism of loyalty and filial piety

There were records of loyalty and filial piety in the Warring States period. The author is unknown, and the records in the Warring States Policy written during the Warring States Period roughly reflect this tendency of ideological change? "The father's dutiful son, the monarch's loyal minister". But during the Warring States Period, there was no so-called dominant mainstream thought in hundred schools of thought. Therefore, the integration of the concept of loyalty and filial piety was in the later period of the unified empire: the Han Empire.

The filial piety thought of pre-Qin Confucianism began its feudal transformation in Han Dynasty. Here is a quote from Mr. Zhu Lan's Seven Lectures on Traditional Filial Piety in China. He said:

"First, it is easy to be' filial' to' loyal' and realize the transformation of' filial piety' from family ethics to political ethics;

Second, the theory of "three cardinal guides and five permanent members" changed "filial piety" from ethics to feudalism, sanctified and mystified.

Thirdly, the filial piety is comprehensively stipulated, and there is a unified standard for filial piety in later generations.

This change of thought is recorded in The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period, The Book of Filial Piety and The Book of Rites. So what are these books about? Readers don't have to read it. Here we summarize their general ideas:

The Story of the Spring and Autumn Period divides filial piety into three categories (the so-called "three categories", that is, the monarch is a minister, the father is a subclass, and the husband is a wife. In this context, "class" is a relationship of example, constraint and obedience), and inferring the interpersonal relationship between father and son, son and filial piety between people conforms to the principle that the five elements of Yin and Yang in the universe are mutually reinforcing and mutually reinforcing. Therefore, the source of filial piety in the book belongs to heaven, and the monarch of a country also takes the law from heaven, thus proving the rationality and inevitability of the monarch.

The order of the world follows Yang, the monarch is Yang, and the minister is Yin; The father is yang and the son is yin; The husband is yang and the wife is yin. Vagina can't walk alone, it can't be specialized at first, and it can't be split in two at the end. Therefore, the minister is the king, the son is the father, the wife is the husband, the yin is the yang, and the earth is the sky. Chunqiu story

Under the guise of Confucius, the Book of Filial Piety advocates the concepts of "isomorphism between home and country" and "the world is home", which confuses the concepts of loyalty to the monarch and filial piety. It is clearly pointed out at the beginning of the article? "Filial piety is the foundation of virtue, the source of teaching, the test of heaven, the meaning of earth and the trip of man", which determines the supreme authority of filial piety. There is a passage that probably explains why "filial piety" has become the foundation of literati:

The father loves his mother and respects his husband. Therefore, the mother takes her love, the gentleman takes her respect, and the father is also. Therefore, filial piety is loyalty to the monarch. If you respect things for a long time, you will be smooth. Being loyal and obedient, and then being able to keep the sacrifice, is also the filial piety of the world. "Filial piety? The fifth chapter "

In order to cater to the above theory of filial piety, the rulers of the Han Dynasty carried out a series of policies and guidelines in time to consolidate the policy slogan of "ruling the world with filial piety". After Liu Bang (everyone knows that he is filial, so it is impossible to boast), his son Liu Ying praised filial piety, his grandson Liu Heng praised filial piety, Liu Qi praised filial piety, Liu Che praised filial piety, Liu Fuling praised filial piety and Liu Xun praised it. ) Xiao Yuan, Liu Ao's Cheng Xiao, Yan Ling, Liu Xin's Xiao Ai, Liu Kan (K? N) "Filial piety" means that the king sets an example and respects his parents, which is an example for everyone in the world.

The concept of "isomorphism of loyalty and filial piety" formed in this period has influenced the values of China people for thousands of years. The policy of "ruling the world by filial piety" in Han Dynasty was effectively presented and continued under the guidance of the policy, and was inherited by later generations. Tang Xuanzong's interpretation of the Book of Filial Piety is very famous. He not only read it himself, but also ordered people to collect a copy (forced Amway from the emperor) from every household, wrote it himself and carved a stone to show his attitude.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Song Gaozong presented his autographed Book of Filial Piety to the most beloved courtiers and national schools in the world. At that time, the Book of Filial Piety was probably equivalent to The Analects of Confucius, and almost everyone could quote a sentence or two. Kangxi of Qing Dynasty translated the Book of Filial Piety into Manchu, and Qianlong also held a "Thousand Banquets" to publicize filial piety. With the help of political authority, the administrative means of respecting morality and carrying things ensured the emergence of the concept of loyalty and filial piety after the Han Dynasty, and at the same time penetrated into the spiritual world and value recognition of ordinary people, so that the concept of filial piety and the concept of loyalty to the monarch were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and became the code of conduct and moral standards.

Kangxi Guisi, 60-year-old Injong, held a thousand banquets in Gan Qing Palace, with more than 1,900 people before the banquet; In the second year of Qianlong, the Qing emperor held a thousand banquets in Gan Qing Palace in the fifty years, and gave more than 3,900 pigeons and sticks in advance. Bing Chen Chun, who celebrated his 90th birthday, coincided with the Neichan ceremony. A thousand banquets were held in the palace. More than 5,900 people, including more than 60 centenarians, received couplets.

Filial piety has its special social roots. The ancient agriculture in China was an intensive farming method, which needed the unity and cooperation of the whole family. If a person is separated from his family, he can't live independently. The interests of individuals and families are closely related. In such a family-based society, the moral norms of filial piety and the formation of ethics can effectively restrain the behavior of individuals in the family, adjust the rights disputes among individuals with different interests in the family, and maintain the harmony and stability of the whole family. In such a social structure, people used to call the supreme ruler "the son of heaven", ministers called themselves "courtiers" of the king, people called local officials "parents" and rulers called people "people". From the king to the people, a stable pyramid shape is formed, and the family is like a whole with * * *, and the patriarch takes filial piety as a top-down way.

If China has been closed to the outside world and has always regarded the small-scale peasant economy as the basic economy, then it probably won't find any problems. But after all, the world is a bigger whole, and the interaction between civilizations is inevitable. It is always the high culture that impacts the low culture. /kloc-in the 0 th and 9 th centuries, a large number of western cultures entered the country, and the society of the country had to change.

I want you to be an upright person, not a dutiful son.

The collapse of the feudal dynasty and the disintegration of the family system triggered violent social unrest and deepened people's thinking and reflection on current events. Especially in the May 4th period, the reflection on the national conditions and the national movement was endowed and attributed to ethical consideration and consciousness. At that time, the logic of the struggle of intellectual elites was very clear: to promote equality and freedom, we must develop science and technology, realize democracy and harmony, and completely deny feudal autocracy; To deny feudal autocratic rule, we must criticize Confucianism, which has existed for more than two thousand years; We should deny Confucianism. It is urgent to completely deconstruct the concept of "filial piety" and the political and ethical model of loyalty and filial piety. The so-called "Confucianism" of "teaching loyalty and filial piety" should be straight to the point and go straight to the core of the problem.

The wind is surging? May 4th Movement? Shout it out? Call Kong Jia Store? Slogan of

In a series of unfilial remarks, the most fierce one is Wu Yu who "single-handedly defeated the old hero of Kongjiadian". In his view, traditional filial piety "only cultivates the power of monarch and sage parents". They teach filial piety and loyalty, that is, they want to turn China into a "factory that makes obedient people". Hu Shi, on the other hand, thinks that the word "filial piety" should be deported from the perspective of freedom of thought and independence of personality. One of his vernacular poems, My Son, made his thoughts clear, and one of them said, "I want you to be an upright person, not my dutiful son."

The elite of the May 4th Movement criticized and deconstructed the concept of filial piety, which ruled China for more than 2,000 years, injected fresh vitality into democracy, equality, freedom and individual liberation for the Chinese nation, and transformed the closed spiritual world of China people. Since then, we have been rethinking that the moral concept of filial piety derived from politics has not adapted to the requirements of modern society for citizens. What should we do?

From Filial Piety to Love: Returning to the Original and True Natural Expression

We can't refuse the idea of loving our parents. Without parents, life is just a place to go. Love for relatives is an instinct, and people are born with love for relatives. This kind of emotion is endowed and possessed by human nature.

The thread in the hand of a kind-hearted mother makes clothes for her wayward son.

Children's love and respect for the elderly can not be said to be only due to the obligation of giving back to the great sacrifices and contributions made by the elderly in raising their children, but more importantly, the condensation and display of human primitive emotions. This primitive relationship and feeling with natural attributes obviously has universal significance and intrinsic value beyond the boundaries of time and region, so it cannot be completely replaced and abolished. However, erasing the sense of respect and political authority that has been mixed in and turning the "filial piety" of the upper and lower structure into the sincere love of children for their parents is the call for the natural expression of family ties in the new era.

Mom, we love you.

China's traditional concept of filial piety, as an eternal ethical emotion of human beings and a national belief deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of China, has universal significance and intrinsic value beyond the limitation of time and region, and still plays an extremely important role in saving the lost spirit of modern China society with chaotic development of industrial civilization. With the changes of society, we have changed from "people" under the ancient patriarchal hierarchy to citizens under the modern social equality system. The change of identity should bring about the awakening of the subject consciousness, and the traditional world outlook of loyalty and filial piety under the autocratic consciousness has obviously failed to meet the needs of the times. With the formation of the new social structure and the reorganization of the family concept, the traditional concept of filial piety inevitably needs to be adjusted and reinterpreted in the modern sense: eliminating the attachment and unequal relationship of life, removing political authority and external forms, weakening the interest relationship, respecting the spontaneous emotional connection between blood relatives, and thus returning to the original pure emotional experience.