Human and Theory - A Study of Confucian Family and Ethical Thought

Author: Xu Ruzong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Confucianism categorizes typical interpersonal relationships such as husband-wife, father-son, elder brother-younger brother, ruler-minister, and friend-friend as the "Five Relationships" (Wulun). It advocates mutual love and respect between spouses, filial piety from children to parents, fraternal affection among brothers, righteousness of rulers and loyalty of ministers, and trustworthiness in friendships, all in pursuit of harmonious coexistence among people. This ultimately aims to achieve social harmony and stability. The essence of Confucianism lies in using the "Five Relationships" as the framework for governance, guided by the "benevolence" (ren) of "all living beings are kin" as the spirit for serving society, the Doctrine of the Mean as the method and principle, and the "ritual" (li) as the norm, with the ultimate goal of realizing the ideal "Great Harmony" (Dadong) society. Thisly reflects the moral civilization of the Chinese nation over the past two millennia and continues to deeply influence people's moral behavior and social atmosphere. Based on Confucian classics and historical documents, this book focuses on the "Five Relationships," providing an in-depth and innovative systematic review and exploration of the basic content, historical evolution, characteristics, and role of Confucian ethical thought. Additionally, through comparative studies of early Confucianism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, as well as the differences between Confucianism and other schools such as Mohism, Taoism, Legalism, and Buddhism, and the comparison of Chinese and Western ethical perspectives, the books the true essence of Confucian ethical thought, uncovering the reasonable values it contains. It aims to provide valuable insights for establishing a new set of relationship systems with Chinese characteristics and building a harmonious society.