Human and Rites: A Study of Confucian Family and Ethical Thought

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Features: Confucianism categorizes typical interpersonal relationships such as husband-wife, father-son, elder brother-younger brother, ruler-minister, and friend-friend into the "Five Relationships" (). It advocates mutual love and respect between husband and wife, filial piety from father to son, fraternal affection between elder and younger brothers, righteousness of ruler and loyalty of minister, and trustworthiness in friendships, aiming to foster harmonious relationships among people and ultimately achieve social harmony and stability. The essence of Confucianism lies in using the "Five Relationships" as the framework for governance, with the virtue of "benevolence" () as the guiding principle for serving society, the Doctrine of the Mean as the method and standard, and "ritual" () as the norm, all in pursuit of the ideal "Great Unity" () society. This 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 Based on Confucian classics and historical documents, this book focuses on the "Five Relationships," providing an in-depth and insightful systematic review of the basic content, historical evolution,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 Han Confucian ethical theories, with special attention to the similarities and differences between Confucianism and Mohism, Taoism, Legalism, Buddhism, and the comparative study of Chinese and Western ethical perspectives, the book restores the true meaning of Confucian ethical thought and uncovers the reasonable values embedded within it. The aim is to provide valuable insights for establishing a new set of relationship systems with Chinese characteristics and building a harmonious society.