Confucius (551-470 B.C.E.) lived during the warring states period before China was unified as one nation. Confucius is considered the founder of the Chinese ethical and moral system based on the family and his Five Great Relationships:
1. between ruler and subject
2. father and son
3. husband and wife
4. elder and younger brother
5. friend and friend
In each pair, one role was superior and one inferior; one role led and the other followed. Yet each involved mutual obligations and responsibilities. Failure to properly fulfill one’s role could lead to the termination of the relationship.
Confucius
Did you notice that religion and God are not mentioned among the Five Great Relationships?
Discover The Meaning of “Honor” to Most Chinese
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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[…] Then there was Confucius. […]