Confucius and Chinese Culture - Essay Example

Confucius and Chinese culture  The historical literature, which accounts for the life of Chinese women, associates them with miserable incidents, behaviors and conditions. The literature provides ample information on how women were treated in the past; for instance, they were chained to their feet, compelled to forced marriages and abundant accounts of suicidal incidents of widows are found in the Chinese women history. The miserable life of women is often related to Confucianism. With many of the best traditions of Confucianism, Confucius was not able to keep the right of the women. According to him, the women were obedient to their father in the first place, then to their husband and then to their elder son; the family’s elder son was the head of the house. According to Confucius, every relationship has a dual nature of responsibility, and accordingly the obligation. The mother is responsible for her son, Father for children, Teacher for students. However, men are superior, more powerful and intellectual as compared to women. He was not able to give a proper place to women in the society in his teachings and Confucius culture. According to Confucius, society could become stable only when the five basic relationships are being fulfilled which are, the relation of Love (among father and son), relationship of righteousness (among emperor and minister), relationship of virtuous demeanor (among husband and wife), relationship of order (among elder and younger) and relationship of faithfulness (among friends).If we closely administer these virtues, we see that out of the five, three occur in the family system. He was the great devotee of the family system and it is also the basis of today’s family system in China. The family system has an extended impact on the whole town, city and society of China. The order is strictly followed as, for instance, younger has to obey the elder whether the elder is from his family or from outside the family. Even today, Chinese people pay special respect to their elders. Confucius is also of the opinion that men should link themselves to others by humanity (Keng, 473-518). They should not select anything which they cannot select for themselves. Confucius was of the opinion that individuals need to mend their lives and acts rather than criticizing others. This idea is mutually accepted and practiced in the Chinese society. This, to a great extent, has helped in providing a level of security to Chinese women who are not criticized for working, having relationships and moving around freely today. There is a mutual acceptability and widespread use of this norm. The only person to judge and review his acts, within the social and legal boundaries, is the person himself. This point of Confucius has also become the point of measure to judge the behavior of others (Keng, 473-518). Interaction with others, as stated by Confucius, has become a lesson of personal development. When interacting with others, one keeps judging his own behavior which helps himself to devise his behavioral norms. Individuals keep correcting their behavior that strengthens the relationships they hold. Confucius is of the strong opinion that everyone should keep harmony in their relationship and it would be their greatest accomplishment in their life (Keng, 473-518). Women are privileged with greater satisfaction having a good status, loveable family environment and rights to enter the professional working environment in China. The underlying concept of putting oneself in the place of other to judge the situation and actions provide a vivid image of the true instances that affect others’ choices and behaviors. This, hence, has improved the condition of women and the behavior of men with them. The rule of the emperor is to be judged by the virtue and it is not hereditary. According to Confucius, the ruler must rule wisely and with moral attitudes. The ruler should be just in his working and virtue must be his core conduct. If the society is being ruled by a wise and just leader and ruler, the society is harmonized, stable and flourishing and it cultivates moral and ethical values. Conscious considered woman as morally and intellectually defective. He was the strong opponent of women subordination. Regardless of this fact, the principles he provided were significantly influential in maintaining harmony, peace and stability in an economy. Filial Piety is yet another value of Confucius. Confucius is also heard of saying “Filial Piety is root value of all virtues”. Filial Piety says that son should live with their parents after marriage under one roof. Respect is provided to father and parents as long as they are alive. The will and power of parents is supreme in the house. If the wife is not obedient to parents, the son could divorce her. In recent Chinese culture also, the first son born is obliged to provide shelter, food and medicine to father in their old age. Confucius is strong supporter of family system and in the recent Chinese society; parents are a supreme power in the family. In traditional Chinese culture, the greatest regret the son could have is to lose the opportunity to serve his parents in their death-bed. That is why; there are no old age homes in China contrary to the Eastern countries. Traditional Chinese culture is male – centered. More power is given to the male as compared to females. Females are less intellectual as proposed by Confucius. According to old pictographs (ancient Chinese characters), the women are showed sitting in their homes. On the other hand, the males are pictured with labor and fields. There were also cases where female infants and children were infanticide and daughters were even sold to brothels. Even today, Chinese women are mostly responsible for the educational success of their children. They are also bearing most of the share of domestic work. In contemporary Chinese culture, women not only have to share the entire domestic work load but also have to manage the educational level of their children. In recent Chinese culture, women are committing suicide in their old age as they cannot bear the workload at their old age. Women with 65+ of age have the most suicide rate in today’s China. Confucius ideas are still remembered and followed in most of the China at different levels throughout the society. Although many of his teachings are highly applauded like in strongly supporting the family system, the role of ruler and kinship of the ruler to wise men instead of passing on to next of kin, taking care of one another, giving respect to each other and respect to elder but when it comes to the role of women in Chinese culture, his teachings are dilapidated. Gender balance is not supported by Confucius at all. Women increased work load and liabilities to their natal family has been more desiring by him. Even in today’s China, women are not freed of their obligation. Their duties and hardships are not recognized at all. In the Confucius teachings, the women always have to be obedient either it would be father, husband or the elder son of the family. References Keng, L-C. "Li, order, and blood relations: The order of human relationships in traditional Chinese culture." New essays in Chinese culture: religion and ritual (1982): 473-518. Read More