The Classic of Filial Piety

ConfuciusChina Commercial Publishing House · ChinaMay 2014

3.9

Word count: 15K words
Chapters: 25

Summary

One of the most important classics in Chinese cultural history, this book defines five different meanings of filial piety — for the Son of Heaven, the feudal lords, the ministers and grand officers, the scholars, and the common people. It played an enormous role in ancient Chinese social life and is the concentrated expression of the ancient ethical and social norms centered on loyalty and filial piety. For two thousand years it was widely recited, from emperors, generals and ministers down to ordinary people, and its influence even reached other peoples and countries. As a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, filial piety remains one of the basic moral norms of how we should conduct ourselves today, two thousand years later.

Editor's review

As one of the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism, the Classic of Filial Piety (Xiaojing) is short—just over 1,800 characters—yet occupies a central place in the history of Chinese ethical thought. The book was not written by Confucius himself but compiled by his disciple Zeng Shen based on Confucius's teachings on filial piety, and it systematically presents the Confucian interpretation of filial piety. Through norms of filial conduct for five different social strata—the Son of Heaven, the feudal lords, the high ministers and grand officers, the scholars, and the common people—the book constructs a complete ethical system that closely links family ethics with social and political order.

From a modern perspective, the value of the Classic of Filial Piety lies not only in its significance as a historical document but also in its philosophical reflection on filial piety as the starting point of morality. The view of life expressed in "body, hair, and skin are received from one's parents," the value of "establishing oneself and practicing the Way, leaving a good name for later generations," and the life path of "beginning with serving one's parents, proceeding to serving one's ruler, and culminating in establishing oneself" can still prompt deep reflection on intergenerational relationships, personal responsibility, and social obligation.

This edition from China Commerce and Trade Press, while retaining the classical original text, usually includes detailed annotations and modern translations, lowering the barrier to reading classical Chinese. Particularly noteworthy is that the book extends "filial piety" from purely family ethics to the realm of social morality, proposing universally meaningful moral requirements such as "not being arrogant," "abiding by the law," and "being frugal." This approach of connecting private and public morality still has value for moral construction in contemporary society.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers interested in the traditional Chinese ethical thought system
Readers who want a systematic understanding of the Confucian culture of filial piety
Educators in traditional culture or researchers of family ethics
Thinkers seeking classical wisdom to reflect on modern intergenerational relationships

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting light storytelling or novelistic plots
Modernists who completely reject traditional ethical concepts

Reading tips

Read the modern translation first to grasp the overall thought, then read the original closely to appreciate the classical language
Read alongside relevant discussions of filial piety in the Analects to understand the continuity of Confucian ethics
While reading, distinguish between specific norms under the historical context and ethical principles that transcend their time

About the publisher

China Commercial Publishing House China · Founded in 1980

Founded in 1980, China Commercial Publishing House focuses on books in economic management and commerce and circulation, while also covering inspirational growth, biography and foreign literature. Representative titles available in the database include The Old Man and the Sea, The Family Letters of Zeng Guofan, The Nightingale and the Rose, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living and A Message to Garcia, as well as practical finance and management works such as Chen Boxian's Lectures on Family Trusts, Corporate Layoffs, Job Transfers and Dismissals: Scheme Design and Risk Prevention, and A Complete Practical Guide to Corporate Incentive Mechanism Design. Its authors range from foreign masters such as Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Dale Carnegie to An Ran, Zhang Chi, Fang Ming, Chen Boxian and Ye Mao. Given limited public information, its publishing profile is best seen in a diverse mix of classics and inspirational reading alongside practical finance and management titles.

版权信息
公版书总序
开宗明义章第一
天子章第二
诸侯章第三
卿大夫章第四
士章第五
庶人章第六
三才章第七
孝治章第八
圣治章第九
纪孝行章第十
五刑章第十一
广要道章第十二
广至德章第十三
广扬名章第十四
谏诤章第十五
感应章第十六
事君章第十七
丧亲章第十八
附录1 关于《孝经》作者
附录2 《孝经》成书
附录3 古诗言孝
附录4 古人眼里的“不孝有三”
附录5 二十四孝故事

FAQ

Was the Classic of Filial Piety really written by Confucius?

The academic consensus is that the Classic of Filial Piety was compiled by Confucius's disciple Zeng Shen and his followers based on Confucius's sayings on filial piety. It represents Confucius's thought on filial piety but is not his own writing.

What is the point of reading the Classic of Filial Piety in modern society?

The filial piety proposed in the Classic of Filial Piety is not only family ethics but also involves personal cultivation, social responsibility, and political ethics. Its core values of gratitude, respect, and responsibility, as well as its reflection on the relationship between private and public morality, still offer inspiration for building harmonious modern relationships.

How difficult is this book to read?

The original text is in classical Chinese; it is short but profound. With an edition that includes high-quality annotations and modern translation (such as this publisher's edition), ordinary readers can understand the core ideas well. Reading with introductory materials is recommended.

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About the author

Confucius Author · Chinese

Confucius, whose personal name was Qiu and whose courtesy name was Zhongni, was a native of Zou in the State of Lu (present-day Qufu, Shandong) in the late Spring and Autumn period. He was a celebrated thinker, educator and statesman in ancient China and the founder of the Confucian school. He pioneered private teaching and is traditionally said to have had three thousand disciples, seventy-two of them outstanding; in his later years he compiled and edited the Six Classics. His sayings and deeds were recorded by his disciples and their followers in the Analects, which embodies his ideas on benevolence, ritual propriety, self-cultivation and governance. His teachings, transmitted and developed over more than two thousand years, have deeply influenced China and East Asia and remain an important resource for understanding Eastern philosophy and ethical traditions. This library holds twenty-nine related works, mostly centered on the text of the Analects, commonly classified under Eastern philosophy and parenting, showing that his thought attracts attention both in classical study and in character education. Because of the great antiquity, public information on the specific details of his life is limited; readers may grasp his core ideas through the texts themselves.