The Chapter on Governing by Filial Piety

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.3

Word count: 254 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Master said: In ancient times, when the enlightened kings governed the world by filial piety, they did not dare neglect even the ministers of small states, how much less the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons? Thus they won the joyful hearts of the myriad states, with which they served their former kings. Those who govern a state did not dare treat with contempt even widowers and widows, how much less the scholars and common people? Thus they won the joyful hearts of the hundred clans, with which they served their former lords. Those who govern a household did not dare fail even servants and concubines, how much less their wives and children?

Thus they won the joyful hearts of people, with which they served their parents. Therefore, while alive, parents are at peace, and when sacrificed to, the spirits enjoy the offerings. Hence the world is peaceful and harmonious, disasters do not arise, and misfortune and disorder do not occur. Such is how the enlightened kings governed the world by filial piety. The Book of Songs says: "Having awakened virtue, the four states follow him."

Editor's review

"Filial Piety in Government" is a chapter of the Classic of Filial Piety that, through the words of Confucius, extends filial piety from family ethics to a principle of governing the world. The text presents three levels in turn: enlightened kings, those who govern a state, and those who govern a household. They did not dare neglect the ministers of small states, and so won the joyful hearts of the myriad states; they did not dare treat widowers and widows with contempt, and so won the joyful hearts of the hundred clans; they did not dare fail servants and concubines, and so won the joyful hearts of people. Progressing layer by layer, it comes to rest on "while alive, parents are at peace, and when sacrificed to, the spirits enjoy the offerings," and further on the world being peaceful, disasters not arising, and misfortune and disorder not occurring. Its highlight lies in linking filial piety with political order and social stability, concluding with the quotation from the Book of Songs, "Having awakened virtue, the four states follow him"—brief yet well structured. This Bashu Publishing House edition makes the original accessible to readers. When reading, one may place it within the overall context of the Classic of Filial Piety, considering both its ethical claims and its logic of governance, and reflect on the boundaries of traditional filial governance today, avoiding simple praise or blame.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of literature and history studying the Classic of Filial Piety and Confucian ethical thought
General readers interested in traditional filial piety and grassroots governance
Chinese teachers and self-learners needing short classical Chinese texts for close reading

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a long systematic theoretical monograph on filial piety
Readers hoping for a practical guide to modern family relationships

Reading tips

First read through once, then compare with other chapters of the Classic of Filial Piety to confirm this chapter's place and function in the whole book.
Extract the three parallel levels—"enlightened kings—those who govern a state—those who govern a household"—and compare their objects and what they gained.
After reading, reflect on the applicable boundaries of the idea of "filial governance" in light of reality, and write down your doubts or agreement.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

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FAQ

What is the core claim of "Filial Piety in Government"?

This chapter advocates governing the world by filial piety: enlightened kings did not neglect the ministers of small states, those who govern a state did not treat widowers and widows with contempt, and those who govern a household did not fail servants and concubines, thereby winning the joyful hearts of the myriad states, the hundred clans, and people respectively, so that the living are at peace and the sacrificed enjoy the offerings, and ultimately the world is peaceful, disasters do not arise, and misfortune and disorder do not occur. It extends filial piety from family ethics to a principle of political governance.

How should "did not dare neglect the ministers of small states" be understood?

It means that when enlightened kings governed the world, they did not dare cast aside or slight even the ministers of small states, let alone the dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons. Here "did not dare neglect" emphasizes the caution and respect of those in superior positions, illustrating that filial governance is not merely showing favor to those close at hand but proceeds from the subtle to the manifest and from the small to the great, thereby winning the joyful hearts of the myriad states.

Is this chapter suitable for beginners to read directly?

It is short and clearly structured, suitable as introductory classical Chinese material for close reading, but annotations are needed. It is advisable first to understand the overall framework and basic terminology of the Classic of Filial Piety, then work through the text sentence by sentence. If entirely unfamiliar with classical Chinese, one may first read a vernacular translation, then return to the original to appreciate its layer-by-layer reasoning.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.