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The ''Classic of Filial Piety'', also known by its
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
name as the ''Xiaojing'', is a
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
classic
treatise A treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject and its conclusions."Treat ...
giving advice on filial piety: that is, how to behave towards a senior such as a father, an elder brother, or a ruler. The text was most likely written during the late
Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
and early
Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
and claims to be a conversation between Confucius and his student Zengzi. The text was widely used during the Han and later dynasties to teach young children basic moral messages as they learnt to read.


Authorship

The text dates from the 4th century BC to 3rd century BC. It is not known who actually wrote the document. It is attributed to a conversation between
Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
and his disciple Zengzi. A 12th-century author named He Yin claimed: "The ''Classic of Filial Piety'' was not made by Zengzi himself. When he retired from his conversation (or conversations) with Kung-ne on the subject of Filial Piety, he repeated to the disciples of his own school what (the master) had said, and they classified the sayings, and formed the treatise."


Content

As the title suggests, the text elaborates on filial piety, which is a core Confucian value. The text argues that people who love and serve their parents will do the same for their rulers, leading to a harmonious society. For example,


Influence

The ''Classic of Filial Piety'' occupied an important position in classical education as one of the most popular foundational texts through to late imperial China. The text was used in elementary and moral education together with the
Analects The ''Analects'' (; ; Old Chinese: '' ŋ(r)aʔ''; meaning "Selected Sayings"), also known as the ''Analects of Confucius'', the ''Sayings of Confucius'', or the ''Lun Yu'', is an ancient Chinese book composed of a large collection of sayings a ...
, Elementary Learning, and the Biographies of Exemplary Women. Study of the text was also mentioned in epitaphs as an indication of a person's good character. It was a practice to read aloud the text when mourning one's parents. The text was also important politically, partly because filial piety was both a means of demonstrating moral virtue and entering officialdom for those with family connections to the imperial court. The text was important in
Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Wa ...
and was quoted by the influential Song figure and Neo-Confucian philosopher
Zhu Xi Zhu Xi (; ; October 18, 1130 – April 23, 1200), formerly romanized Chu Hsi, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, philosopher, poet, and politician during the Song dynasty. Zhu was influential in the development of Neo-Confucianism. He con ...
.


Translations

Many Japanese translations of the ''Xiaojing'' exist. The following are the primary Western language translations. * Legge, James (1879). ''The Hsiâo King'', in ''
Sacred Books of the East The ''Sacred Books of the East'' is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts ...
'', vol. III. Oxford University Press. * de Rosny, Leon (1889). ''Le Hiao-king''. Paris: Maisonneuve et Ch. Leclerc. Republished (1893) as ''Le morale de Confucius: le livre sacré de la piété filiale''. Paris: J. Maisonneuve. * Chen, Ivan (1908). ''The Book of Filial Piety''. London: J. Murray; New York: E.P. Dutton & Co. * Wilhelm, Richard (1940). ''Hiau Ging: das Buch der Ehrfurcht''. Peking: Verlag der Pekinger Pappelinsel. * Makra, Mary Lelia (1961). ''The Hsiao Ching'', Sih, Paul K. T., ed. New York: St. John's University Press. * Goldin, Paul R. (2005). "Filial Piety" in ''Hawaii Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture'', Victor H. Mair et al., eds. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 106-12. *
Ames, Roger T. Roger T. Ames (born 12 December 1947) is a Canadian-born philosopher, translator, and author. He is Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University in Beijing, China, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and ...
; Rosemont, Henry, Jr. (2009). ''The Chinese Classic of Family Reverence: A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaojing''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.


See also

* Family as a model for the state * Role ethics *
Ma Rong Ma Rong (; 79–166), courtesy name Jichang (), was a Chinese poet and politician of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was born in Youfufeng () in the former Han capital region, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. His father Ma Yan (马严) was a s ...
(79-166) and the ''Classic of Loyalty''.


References


Citations


Works cited

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External links


Xiaojing

Xiao Jing
(Full text in Chinese with English translation)
Xiao Jing
(Full text in Chinese with Explanatory Commentary)

(Full text in Chinese and English with matching vocabulary) {{Confucian texts Chinese classic texts Confucian texts Filial piety Thirteen Classics