Moral Cultivation, Filial Piety, and the Good Society in Classical Confucian Philosophy
Moral Cultivation, Filial Piety, and the Good Society in Classical Confucian Philosophy
This chapter serves as an introduction into the early Confucian notions about parent–child relationships, early childhood, and moral cultivation. It examines the close relationship between these three and the task of creating and maintaining a good society as it is presented in the best-known early Confucian texts—the Analects, the Mengzi, and the Xunzi. These texts not only emphasize the importance of moral cultivation, the unique role of parent–child relationships, and the importance of filial piety, but also the clear and direct relationship between the family and a good society. Through the analysis of the texts, the chapter also presents the different and unique insights of Kongzi, Mengzi, and Xunzi regarding the relationship between the family, moral education, and political philosophy.
Keywords: Confucian philosophy, parent–child relationships, early childhood, moral cultivation, good society, Analects, Mengzi, Xunzi, family
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