The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents

T. Brian Mooney; John N. Williams

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8

The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents

T. Brian Mooney, John N. Williams

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Central to Confucianism is the doctrine that an adult child has the ‘duty’ to care for his elderly parents (xiao 孝). We give indications that this duty remains robust in Chinese communities and sketch its historical underpinnings. We then explore the conjecture that the origin of filial piety is the worship of ancestors as petitioners of Shangdi. Next we elucidate the Confucian ethical vision, according to which by being aware of the moral force of Tian (天), one must try to promote ren (仁) by means of li (礼) so as to exercise de (德), in a way appropriate to a junzi (君子). Then we examine how the filial duty of care is justified by this vision via the application of the Golden Rule. We anticipate objections to this justification and suggest replies available to a Confucian.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures
Editors	Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš
Place of Publication	Switzerland
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media B.V.
Chapter	8
Pages	111-127
Number of pages	17
Edition	1
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-319-25724-2
ISBN (Print)	978-3-319-25722-8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8
Publication status	Published - 2016

Publication series

Name	Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures
Volume	15
ISSN (Print)	2211-1107
ISSN (Electronic)	2211-1115

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8

Cite this

Mooney, T. B., & Williams, J. N. (2016). The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents. In J. T. Ozoliņš (Ed.), Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures (1 ed., pp. 111-127). (Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures; Vol. 15). Springer Science and Business Media B.V.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8

Mooney, T. Brian ; Williams, John N. / The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents. Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures. editor / Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš. 1. ed. Switzerland : Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2016. pp. 111-127 (Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures).

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Mooney, TB & Williams, JN 2016, The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents. in JT Ozoliņš (ed.), Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures. 1 edn, Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures, vol. 15, Springer Science and Business Media B.V., Switzerland, pp. 111-127. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8

The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents. / Mooney, T. Brian; Williams, John N.
Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures. ed. / Jānis Tālivaldis Ozoliņš. 1. ed. Switzerland: Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2016. p. 111-127 (Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures; Vol. 15).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

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Mooney TB, Williams JN. The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents. In Ozoliņš JT, editor, Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures. 1 ed. Switzerland: Springer Science and Business Media B.V. 2016. p. 111-127. (Sophia Studies in Cross-cultural Philosophy of Traditions and Cultures). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-25724-2_8

The Confucian Filial Duty to Care (xiao 孝) for Elderly Parents

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