The Classic on Filial Duty, one of the thirteen Confucian Classics, occupies an important position in the system of traditional Chinese culture. The book elaborated, in simple and plain words, on ways of being filial dutiful, which ancient Chinese took as the foundation of all virtue. Ancient scholars viewed the book as a reservoir of Six Confucian Classics, had used it as a primer for children for generations. Emperors and Kings who wrote annotations on the books include King Wen of Wei (魏文侯 472-396 B.C.), Emperor Yuan of Jin (晋元帝，276-323), Emperor Xiaowu of Jin (晋孝武帝，362-396), Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝，464-549), Emperor Jianwen of Liang (梁简文帝，503-551), Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (唐玄宗，685-762)，Emperor Shunzhi of Qing (清世祖，1638-1661), Emperor Kangxi of Qing (清圣祖，1654-1722), Emperor Yongzheng of Qing (清世宗，1678-1735). Besides, a few hundred scholar also gave explanations to the book. The book was regarded by all rulers in the past as a golden rule, it served as a basic moral benchmark for the common people as well. Despite of the changes in meaning of filial duty, its basic spirit has its value in all ages.
A Portrait of King Wen of Wei
Filial duty refers to the ethic and moral behavior of treating parents and older generations with care and love. The “Erya Dictionary”, “Explanation of Words and Decoding of Characters” (说文解字) and the “Record of Rites and Ceremonies” （礼记）defined “filial duty” as taking care of parents. Both Confucius and Mencius thought such a definition was not complete, since some animals can also take care of their parents. They added “respect of parents” into the definition. Later scholars described the definition in three layers, the top layer is respect, to respect one has to develop a good name of ancestors and lengthen the family by procreating. The second layer is not to smear, which include not to harm one’s own body and not to put up with insults, and to revenge when necessary. The third layer is to support parents, look after them when they are ill, make them happy and arrange solemn funeral when they pass away.
The Classic of Filial Duty printed in the Qing Dynasty
We are aware that the Six Confucian Classics, namely the Book of Song, the Book of Documents, the Book of Changes, the Record of Rites and Ceremonies, Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Music were not named as classics. We may ask why this book on filial duty is named with the term “classic”. You may know in weaving, the horizontal thread stays unmoved while vertical threads shuttle to and fro. The Chinese character for horizontal thread is “经”, which is given the meaning of a general link, a path. It is interpreted as something one always use and consult. The Art and Literature section of “The History of Han” explained “The Classic of Filial Duty” thus, “Filial duty is a general link in the sky and the meaning of the earth and action of people.” So the word “classic” is a great doctrine among the sky, the earth and the people, it is a benchmark of a person and a norm of human behavior.
The Classic has eighteen chapters with 1903 characters. Chapter I elaborated the aim of filial duty, and the reasons of why it is highest form of virtue and the best approach of governance. From Chapter II to Chapter VI, five different requirements of filial duty of the emperor, dukes, high ranking officials, lower ranking officials and common people are specified. Chapter VII to Chapter IX, political significance and political role of filial duty are expounded. Chapter X and Chapter XI explained what are the “five musts” and “three warnings”. Chapter XII is elucidation of the most important principle, which is being respectful to father, brothers and the monarch. Chapter XIII is elucidation of the greatest virtue, which is that the monarch should be a fine example of performing filial duty. Chapter XIV expounded the relations between filial duty and winning a big name. Chapter XV stressed the importance of frank persuasion and remonstrance while performing filial duties. Chapter XVI illustrates that best performance of filial duty can move the Heaven and the Earth, and in return they would deliver favor to the human world. Chapter XVII stresses the need for officials to make up and correct the mistakes made by the monarch while being allegiant. Chapter XVIII describes what a dutiful son should do in conducting funeral services when his parent deceased.
“Filial duty”in seal script.
There have been different opinions on who the author of “The Classic of Filial Duty” is. Some said it was Confucius himself; some said it was Mencius; others said it should be disciples of Confucius, for instance Zeng Zi; By now most scholars of Confucian studies agree that the author of “The Classic of Filial Duty” was Zi Si (子思)，who was a grandson of Confucius and a disciple of Zeng Zi. Some scholars figured out that Zi Si wrote the classic ten or twenty years before the death of King Wen of Wei, so that he could have time to read the classic and wrote annotations for it.
Because of the annotations by King Wen of Wei, the classic was quite influential at the time. It should be pointed out that the classic was not burnt by the First Emperor of Qin, someone managed to hide it away. It was said that it was a scholar by the name of Yan Zhi who kept the classic in a safe place and later his son Yan Zhen showed it to his friends and then it was presented to the royal court for all scholars of the country to read and study it. When it was provided for scholars to read, it was copied down in clerk script (隶书)，and therefore it was referred to as “The Classic of Filial Duty in Modern Language”. In the Han Dynasty Zhangsun (长孙), Jiang Weng (江翁), Hou Cang (后仓), Yi Feng (翼奉) and Zhang Yu (张禹) were expert scholars teaching the classic.
A painting of performing filial duty.
During the Han Dynasty when a wall in the former residence of Confucius was demolished, a bunch of bamboo scripts were found inside the wall, apparently for purpose of saving them from the burning of books during the rule of the first Emperor of Qin. Among them was “The Classic of Filial Duty” in seal script, that is in “ancient language”. The difference between the ancient language version the the modern language version is that the old version had twenty two chapters and the modern one had eighteen. Scholars found out two chapters in the modern version were split into five, there was only one new chapter--the chapter on boudoir.
The eighteen chapter version that has been widely read and studied was first edited by Liu Xiang (刘向) of the Han Dynasty.
During the periods of Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, both the ancient and modern versions existed. King Wen of Liang was an enthusiastic preacher of “The Classic of Filial Duty”, he not only designated both versions as disciplines of state run schools, but also wrote 18 volumes of comments and explanations of the classic. Much to our regret the mother copy of the ancient version was burnt with other fourteen hundred books during a fire in 554.
The classic was most widely read and studied in the Tang Dynasty. In 719 Emperor Xuanzong personally presided over discussions on the merits and shortcomings of the ancient and modern versions. He ordered to remove the chapter on boudoir and kept it in eighteen chapter and had it printed for the whole country to study. He personally gave annotations to the classic in 722 and again in 743, and the two annotations were included into a book titled: “Instructions on the Learning of the Classic of Filial Duty” (孝经制旨). In 745, the emperor wrote down the whole classic in clerical script. The calligraphy was carved on stone plates and erected before the central state school. Scholars also found that the annotation of the Tang emperor was also collected by Dunhuang as recorded in Part IV of “New Compilation of Records of Ancient Books Collected by Dunhuang” (敦煌古籍叙录新编).
In Northern Song, a few scholars suggested to the emperor that the ancient version should be followed. In Southern Song, Zhu Xi was bold enough to delete 223 characters from the existing version and shortened the classic into fourteen chapters, Many scholars in the Yuan, Ming and Qing followed the example of Zhu Xi, all revised the original in some extend. Such a behavior was challenged by Mao Qiling (毛奇龄) in the Qing Dynasty in his book “Questions on the Classic of Filial Duty” (孝经问)，in which he refuted Zhu Xi with ten questions.
When Emperor Shunzhi was on the throne, he restored the authority of the stone carved version in the Tang Dynasty. His successors Emperors Qianlong and Yongzheng enhanced his efforts.
It might be interesting to know that in 1732, the ancient version of the classic was printed in Japan by Jun Dazai（太宰纯）and in 1793 the modern version of the classic was printed in Japan by Tetsuke Okada (冈田挺之).
Confucius once said that his political aspirations are expressed in “The Spring and Autumn Annals”; his practice was illustrated in “The Classic of Filial Duty.” One of the laws enforced in the Qin Dynasty said that an undutiful son should be punished without any lenient treatment. In the Han Dynasty from Emperor Hui down wards, all posthumous titles contained the character of “filial duty” to indicate the will of sons to carry on the cause of their fathers. Emperor Wu of Han made clear requirement on filial duty, that was to wait on parents especially when they are over 60 and 70, to respect older generation and to recommend those who are dutiful and clean to be officials. He specified a state education system, in which “The Classic of Filial Duty” must be taught. In all state run schools there must be a teacher to teach the classic. In the Northern Wei period, the classic was rendered into Xianbei (the rulers’ original language). Many books were written about fine examples of being dutiful. The first emperor of Tang was among the audience listening to the lecture on the classic. Children under ten who could read aloud from memory the classic were given favorable treatment in national examinations for becoming officials. With that arrangement, the classic became even more popular. The second emperor of Song wrote the classic twice in cursive script. The third emperor of Song composed poems about the classic. The rulers of Liao, Jin, Western Xia and Yuan all attached much importance to the classic. The first emperor of Ming regarded the classic as a great doctrine for governing the state. Every Ming emperor awarded fine examples of dutiful sons. The classic was one of the content for the national examinations.
A sample copy of the classic printed for children with illustrations and Chinese phonetic alphabet The classic, on the one hard, was a spiritual shackle on the broad masses of the people in the past and a political tool for the rulers to consolidate their power; on the other, it has become, through the years in the past two millenniums, a moral standard and cultural mentality of the Chinese nation.
The creed of filial duty is a major cultural phenomenon of the Chinese civilization that is different from ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. It is a core concept in Chinese culture. It is the first cultural spirit of the Chinese nation.
The rich content in the creed of filial duty is not only manifested in concepts and norms, but also contained in various social psychology and material culture (such as clothing, food and housing) and culture in systems (such as political and legal systems). We can even say Chinese culture is a culture of filial duty. Or, we can say filial duty is the most remarkable feature of Chinese culture. And the original source of all the above is “The Classic of Filial Duty.”
