The Study on the Principles of Filial Piety of Confucius and Mencius from “The Analects of Confucious”and“Mencius”

• Main Authors: CHOU HUI - FENG, 周惠鳳
• Other Authors: 陳德昭
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2004
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/3j2skb

碩士 === 銘傳大學 === 應用中國文學系碩士在職專班 === 92 === 論文摘要 Abstract The Study on the Principles of Filial Piety of Confucius and Mencius from “The Analects of Confucious”and“Mencius” In recent years, our social formation has dramatically changed. At present industrious and commercial times, although we have prosperous economy and wealthy life, most of people have turned to utilitarianism and individualism. Such style of short sighted, instant benefits seeking, deceiving each other and harming other to benefit themselves have made people think only realism and lacked human interest. That also has led to the decline of the traditional principle of filial piety and shaken the basis of cultural basis on which our country stands. The whole society has actually fallen into an unheard-of calamity of befuddlement and terror. In today’s society, crimes such as fighting, killing, robbery and looting emerge one after another and the average age of criminals is lowering, startling social news make people greatly upset. They need authority and all ranks and classes of society to reform from bottom. As ethics and moral decline and all kinds of social problems break out, we should conduct fresh exploration into the deeper layer of connotation of the culture of filial piety and find out rules that could meet the pace of living of modern people to rectify social style of work and regenerate culture that are top priority works we could not afford to wait. “Filial piety” is the unique product of Chinese culture. Not one country or one nation in the world attaches importance to the principle of filial piety like Chinese. Since filial piety is root of all morals, Confucius and Mencius particularly emphasized the principle of filial piety and did every effort to expound and advocate. The rational concept of our humane thought is “benevolence” and the core for practice is “filial piety”. Filial piety begins from family in which everyone has to respect his parents first, then expand to the loyalty to monarchy of country. “Filial piety” is one of good behaviors and good virtues emphasized in traditional Chinese culture. Since Confucianism most advocates mind and actions of filial piety that not only find the source of life for filial peity but also concretely guide us to face squarely this really existent virtue that we could understand and take action without needing to learn and needing to consider. The research, therefore, is trying to analyze how Confucius inherited our ancestor’s concept of principle of filial piety and found the source of life values for filial piety and how Mencius discussed filial piety from “human nature is good” theory. Chinese thought “filial piety” is the root of all morals and all education and culture in our civilized society are produced from the virtue of “filial piety”. That’s why we know to love our parents and respect parents and accept our parents’ guidance and teaching in our childhood; serve our society and love our county in our middle ages; accumulate exploits, establish reputation and turn over achievements to our descendants in our older ages. That is the process of filial piety and continued development and evolution of generations of civilization. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter is introduction. The second chapter explores the background that the thought of principle of filial piety Confucianism and Mencianism is born. The third chapter explores the sources of thought of principle of filial piety Confucianism and Mencianism. The fourth chapter explores the connotation of thought of principle of filial piety Confucianism and Mencianism. The fifth chapter explores the characteristics of thought of principle of filial piety Confucianism and Mencianism. The sixth chapter discusses the values and influence of thought of principle of filial piety Confucianism and Mencianism. The seventh chapter is conclusion. Key words: The Analects of Confucius, Confucius, Mencius, principle of filial piety, human nature is good.