Love binds us together

 

Filial piety,
The highest virtue
Of Chinese society.
It forms the foundation,
Upon which is built a nation.
Three generations pictured together,
Symbolize this concept,
That will endure forever.
Elders in the middle
We stand behind them,
Children in front,
With wise ones to mind them.
Loving hearts in a joyous state,
And from the home,
The warmth does radiate.

 
(Cartoon by Gou Ben; Poem by Long Yuan)

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The idea that filial piety is the highest virtue and the root of benevolence lies at the core of most Chinese people’s beliefs. Throughout history, filial piety has influenced social life and personal behaviors. Its central premise of universal love continues to have a theoretical and practical significance.

First, we should start by supporting, respecting and loving our parents. To support them is to reward our parents for raising us, while to respect and love our parents is to care for their feelings.

Second, we should extend our love to other people and everything in the world. Filial piety is not limited to love for our parents, but rather it includes caring for the elders and other people who are not blood relations. This means, in the words of Mencius, to honor old people as we do our elderly parents, and to care for the children of others as one would for one’s own.

Furthermore, we should love society, our motherland and the world as a whole in pursuit of harmony of man with nature. These ideals were praised by German sociologist Max Weber.

Last, the universal love of filial piety has a lasting appeal because the concept is the foundation of the family unit, which cultivates functioning members of society. If relationships in each family are friendly, all of society and the nation will enjoy harmony and smooth social relations. The reason why filial piety transcends family is that the love filial piety engenders is a lofty moral pursuit.

Children do not expect anything in return for helping parents lead a happy life in their later years. Because of its moral value, the tradition of filial piety requires family members to maintain this eternal love.

In a word, filial piety is traditionally composed of three levels. The first level is family affection, which is the foundation and the starting point. The second level is the extension of love by treating others as you would yourself. The third level is the ultimate goal for all under heaven to live as one family.

The view of universal love constitutes the quintessence of traditional Chinese filial piety and is a great contribution to human civilization. By carrying forward and developing such a virtue, we can tap the value of traditional filial piety in modern times.
 

First, the promotion of universal love can help address the aging problem so as to maintain social stability. Providing care for the elderly is a strategic objective for China, which has a large aging population. However, as traditional society breaks down and lifestyles change along with the function of the family unit, filial piety is becoming increasingly undervalued, and family ties are weakening.

As a result, the aging problem is getting worse. Nonetheless, family support cannot be replaced by any other form of social security and is still a realistic choice in China. Therefore, it is of practical significance to continue the tradition of universal love, encourage affection and conscience among the people, and promote filial piety.
 

Second, the promotion of universal love is an important part of moral education. Since family virtues are the source of social ethics and play a fundamental role, moral education should start with the family before expanding to occupational and social life. In this way, we can build a socialist society with an advanced culture and ideology.
 

Above all, the promotion of universal love can enhance harmony in society and even in the entire world. Just as Mencius has said, “The foundation of the world is countries while the foundation of a country is families.” The family is the basic unit of society, so family harmony is the premise of social harmony.
 

Traditional filial piety has enriched the connotations of love, which has contributed to harmonious interpersonal relationships and social stability. At the same time, the idea of universal love can help publicize and implement the Chinese diplomacy of world harmony while fostering world peace and stability.

 

Zhu Lumin is from the Department of History at Xiangtan University in Hunan Province.