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 led and the other followed. Yet each involved mutual obligations and responsibilities. Failure to properly fulfill one’s role could lead to the end of the relationship.
In Fact, Confucius taught that responsibility was not given just because you had wealth or power. Responsibility had to be earned through compassion for others and to live in moderation and not strive for excess.
Did you notice that religion and God are not mentioned among the Five Great Relationships?
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of My Splendid Concubine, Crazy is Normal, Running with the Enemy, and The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova.
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