Humanistic Origins: The Classic of Filial Piety and Chinese Culture: The Classic of Filial Piety and Chinese Culture

Author: Zang Zhifei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The dialectics of history repeatedly reveal that development is not merely simple growth and increase; it often does not follow a linear progression but is achieved through a series of spiral layers. Thus, "return" does not always mean repeating the past but can be an upward form—a way of "awakening" the potential that was already latent at the beginning of things. As culture, created by conscious human beings, it vividly demonstrates a spiral trajectory of development. For example, Europe's "Renaissance," which revered ancient Greek culture, and the "Protestant Reformation," which adhered to the Bible, were both developments and recreations of the "spirit of the canonical texts." It was through such "returns" that European culture achieved historical progress. This phenomenon of drawing inspiration from "cultural canonical texts" to gain a foundation for progress has also appeared multiple times in China, with the famous "Classical Prose Movement" being a typical example. Examining the history of modern Chinese thought and culture, one finds this tendency of "returning to the roots while forging innovation" or "emancipating through retrogression"—that is, returning to the spirit of the canonical texts to seek renewal—everywhere. Of course, modernization is a cultural transition process full of changes and new beginnings. Modern life is like a massive filter, either allowing or blocking elements of past cultural traditions. In this process of selection and rejection, there is a rise and fall. Modern Chinese people, standing at the crossroads of civilization transformation and the salvation of national crisis, chose the adaptable philosophy, sense of crisis, distinction between Chinese and foreign, concept of revolution, and people-centered thought from the spirit of Chinese canonical texts. They then engaged in dynamic interaction and integration with relevant aspects of Western learning, thereby forging theories such as social transformation theory, theory of national salvation, theory of the nation-state, theory of social revolution, and democracy that played a significant role in modern China. It is clear that the selective promotion and creative transformation of the spirit of canonical texts are an inherent part of modern and contemporary culture. This theme is one that the present and future generations must repeatedly explore and strive to practice. The Classic of Filial Piety is one of the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism and has had a profound and widespread influence on the development of Chinese history and culture. It has long been well-known in China's history, with many people reading it in ancient times. However, due to its great distance from our time, its language is relatively difficult, and its content is profound and obscure, making it little understood by modern readers. For this reason, this book introduces and interprets it in plain and accessible language for all readers. The book begins with the life story of its author.