The Book of Filial Duty by Confucius

Description

The Book of Filial Duty is a book by Confucius, and translated by Ivan Chen in 1908 as part of the Wisdom of the East series. The text is a concise and elegant rendering of the Confucian doctrine of xiao — filial piety — which was regarded as the cornerstone of Chinese moral life and social harmony. Through a series of dialogues and aphorisms, the work lays out the moral obligations of children to their parents, elders, and ancestors, promoting reverence, obedience, and ethical conduct as the basis for both private virtue and public order. This text played a foundational role in shaping traditional Chinese ethics and governance, serving as both a family guide and a political ideal. In its transmission to the West, particularly through translations such as this, it offered early 20th-century readers a glimpse into the moral backbone of Chinese civilization. The book continues to resonate as a spiritual and philosophical touchstone for understanding Confucian values in a rapidly changing world.

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