In Confucian teaching, the family is the most basic unit of society. Everyone should respect and obey his or her parents and put the interests of the family before personal interests. This attitude of “filial piety” extended also to ancestors.

Confucianism uses the family as the basis of society, and the relationships of the family members define proper social and political behavior. In a family, children respect the elders, ancestors are venerated and adults protect the children.

Within Confucianism there are five constant virtues or wu chang (五常). In descending order of importance, the virtues are benevolence or ren (仁), righteousness or yi (义), propriety or li (理), wisdom or zhi (智) and fidelity or xin (信).

Confucianism advocates love with distinctions—one always loves one’s family first and then moves outward. Mencius said, “support your own parents and raise your own children first (so others will fellow), then others,” and “in poverty, take care of yourself; when prosperous, contribute to the well-being of all.”

Robert Oxnam :: Confucian teaching rests on three essential values: Filial piety, humaneness, and ritual. Irene Bloom :: The Confucian value system may be likened in some ways to a tripod, which is one of the great vessels of the Shang and Zhou Period and a motif that reoccurs in later Chinese art.

Filial piety
Filial piety remains a central tenet of Confucianism, based on the teachings of the Chinese sage Confucius (probably 552—479 BCE). It involves taking care of and being good to one’s parents, and exhibiting respect, love, courtesy, support, reverence and loyalty to them.

The worldly concern of Confucianism rests upon the belief that human beings are fundamentally good, and teachable, improvable, and perfectible through personal and communal endeavor, especially self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucian thought focuses on the cultivation of virtue in a morally organised world.

The Sikh Gurus taught that these positive human qualities were Sat (truth), Daya (compassion), Santokh (contentment), Nimrata (humility), and Pyaar (love)….3. Five Thieves

• 3a. Kaam (lust)
• 3b. Krodh (anger)
• 3c. Lobh (greed)
• 3d. Moh (attachment, e.g. to material things or people)
• 3e. Hankaar (ego, pride)

The main idea of Confucianism is the importance of having a good moral character, which can then affect the world around that person through the idea of “cosmic harmony.” If the emperor has moral perfection, his rule will be peaceful and benevolent.

Traditional Confucian cultural variables Its core concepts advocate filial devotion to family and priority of collective interests, self-cultivation of virtue and unequal gender roles. Accordingly, three scales were created: (a) family concepts, (b) self-cultivation values, and (c) gender role concepts.

According to the traditional texts, filial piety consists of physical care, love, service, respect, and obedience. Children should attempt not to bring disgrace upon their parents. Confucian texts such as Book of Rites give details on how filial piety should be practiced.

Filial piety is an utterly selfish concept. It demands love and respect toward those who propagate the concept; it is the opposite of moral behavior. It also disrespects those who happen to disagree with certain ways of life and their values. It is parochial and intolerant.

Confucianism & the Family. Family was the foundation of moral society in Confucianism. Every member of a family had a proper relationship with the others, defined by age, sex and birth order. A minor owed the elders respect, but could also expect protection, and so, everyone was part of this system.

In Confucianism, there are five essential virtues that a good leader must obey; they are humaneness, righteousness, proper ritual, knowledge and integrity. These virtues are often explained in terms like the example of the emperor and the subjects.

There is a lengthy passage in the Analects in which Confucius discusses filial piety in a context different from the often-stereotyped sense of “conservative” values of obligation, responsibility and duty on the part of the young toward their elders.

For the last ten years the American media has extolled the Confucian family’s strength, often at the Western family’s expense. W. H. Auden once remarked that he trusted no learning that had not been “proved on the pulses.”