History EAC 80. The Classic of Filial Piety and Mencius

The Classic of Filial Piety and Mencius Your Name History EAC 80 Instructors Name Date
The Classic of Filial Piety is one of the ancient documents that provides a framework for the conduct of the members of the Chinese society when it comes to the respect of the elders in the society. It was composed between 350 and 200 B.C. The document teaches a simple but a lesson on life that everyone should emulate on leading a life on the humble begins that we do have in our lives at home. The document provides more of a blue print on the ways in which people can lead a life so that there can be peace and harmony in the society. The text has been used as one of the cornerstones of the Chinese moral teaching in the modern times. It is not so clear about the author of the document but it is attributed to the conversation between Confucius and his disciple Zengzi. On the other hand Mencius was one of the most influential interpreter of the Confucius and he developed the original teachings of the master. In my view, I do think that the Classical of Filial Piety is partially consistent with the teachings of Mencius on piety. However, there are other specific parts that are not consistent with Mencius teachings on piety.
In the Chinese tradition, filial piety (Hsiao) was one of the roles that each of the members of the community was supposed to practice in their lives. One of the common rituals that was emphasized is that after the death of the parents, the eldest son in the family was supposed to perform a ritual in which they would offer a sacrifice at the gravesite or at the ancestral temple. The son was also supposed to excel in their life as a sign of devotion to the parents. On the other hand, Mencius also dedicates most of his time to talk about benevolence which is the respect that a person has for their relatives. However, Mencius also mentions that one should go a step ahead and mentions that human beings are also supposed to show compassion to the other suffering human beings and even non-human things such as animals. This is one of the aspects where Mencius teachings on life deviates from the Classic of Filial Piety. The Classic of Filial Piety talks more on how one is supposed to treat their close members in the family while Mencius has focused on four main virtues that is benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and propriety. The Classic of Filial Piety states that one should have a greater concern and a greater obligation towards the relatives, friends than the way one does for the strangers and the animals.
Another aspect that can be observed is the rituals that the members of the family were supposed to carry out as a sign of respect. In the Classic of Filial Piety, the teachings emphasized more on the ways in which one was supposed to conduct their lives. A son was seen as the one who would ensure the continuation of th...