Knowra Filial piety Filial piety Filial piety is the virtue of honoring, obeying, and caring for one’s parents and ancestors. It is a central Confucian value and a guiding ideal in many East Asian family traditions.
Confucianism : A tradition of ethical, social, and political thought associated with Confucius and later interpreters. Filial piety is one of Confucianism’s foundational virtues.
Respect for parents : The recognition of parents’ dignity and care through considerate conduct and speech. Respect is a basic expression of filial piety in ordinary family life.
Confucius : An early Chinese teacher and thinker whose teachings became the basis of Confucianism. His teachings place family respect among the foundations of ethical life.
Individualism : An outlook that gives priority to individual autonomy, rights, or interests. Filial duties can conflict with individual choices about work, marriage, and care.
Civil service examination : A competitive examination system used to select officials for government service. In imperial China, knowledge of Confucian classics carrying filial teachings formed part of elite education.
Ren (Confucianism) : The Confucian virtue of humaneness, benevolence, and concern for others. Filial care is one expression of humaneness within close family relationships.
Elder care : Personal, social, and medical support for older adults. Caring for aging parents turns filial duty into practical support.
Analects : A collection of sayings and conversations associated with Confucius and his followers. Its passages discuss how children should serve and advise their parents.
Parental authority : The socially and legally recognized power of parents to guide or govern children. Filial piety concerns a child’s duties, while parental authority concerns parents’ claims.
Confucian family : A family model shaped by Confucian hierarchy, role duties, and intergenerational obligations. Filial piety helps organize authority and responsibility within this family ideal.
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