Filial Piety in the Highest Degree

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

3.9

Word count: 1.6K words
Chapters: 2

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Summary

Filial piety—how consummate it is! A single word encompasses it all; even the Sage could add nothing more.

Editor's review

This book centers on filial piety, the core of traditional ethics, using concise language to explain the fundamental meaning of filial conduct and stressing that it is at once utterly simple and profoundly deep—expressible in a single word. Rather than elaborate argument, it presents the basic spirit of the Confucian view of filial piety in plain terms, making it a suitable primer for understanding traditional filial culture. Its value lies in condensing much into little, letting readers grasp the essentials and tensions of filial piety in a short space; it serves both for quiet personal reflection and for family reading and discussion. Its arrangement invites browsing at any time, so readers can ponder its meaning in spare moments—commuting or before bed. Note that its standpoint belongs to the traditional Confucian ethical framework; readers should examine it in light of modern family relations and their own circumstances rather than simply copying it. Overall, this is a small book that prompts readers to reconsider family affection, responsibility, and intergenerational relations—best read slowly and with questions in mind.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in traditional Confucian ethics and filial culture
Adults wishing to reflect on intergenerational family relations through classic texts
Teachers and students needing short ethical material for reading groups or classroom discussion
Readers who prefer concise classical prose and are willing to revisit it repeatedly

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers expecting systematic scholarly textual criticism or detailed annotation
Readers wholly opposed to traditional ethics and unwilling to examine it

Reading tips

First read the whole text to grasp the main idea, then revisit key phrases sentence by sentence to appreciate the concision of “a single word encompasses it all.”
Write a reading note drawing on your own family experience, examining the similarities and differences between traditional filial piety and contemporary family affection.
Read it alongside the chapters on filial piety in The Analects to compare emphases and modes of expression across texts.

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

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical Chinese?

It can be read, but requires patience. The text is short and concise, so the literal obstacles are not great; it is advisable to use annotations or a plain-language translation to understand it, then return to the original to appreciate its concision. If classical Chinese is entirely unfamiliar, begin by learning the basic background of Confucian filial piety.

Is the “filial piety” discussed in the book the same as what people call filial obedience today?

Not entirely. The filial piety in this book belongs to the traditional Confucian ethical framework and emphasizes the fundamental duty uniting respect and care; its meaning is broader than everyday obedience. Readers should examine it in light of modern family relations, taking its spirit rather than mechanically applying specific norms.

The text is so short—how should one read it to gain something?

Read slowly and repeatedly. On the first pass, read through for the general meaning; on the second, weigh key phrases sentence by sentence; on the third, write notes connecting it to your own experience. The value of a short text lies in repeated pondering; discussion or reading alongside other classics helps even more.

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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.