Classic of Filial Piety (孝经)

Item

Title
Classic of Filial Piety (孝经)
Chinese Title
孝经
孝經
Romanizations
Xiaojing
Xiao jing
Hsiao-ching
Author(s)
Confucius
Year
Warring States (5th cent. BCE - 221 BCE) or early Han Period (206 BCE-220 CE)
Summary

The Xiaojing, or Classic of Filial Piety, is a foundational Confucian text likely composed during the late Warring States period or early Han dynasty. Written as a dialogue between Confucius and his disciple Zengzi, it establishes filial piety (xiao) as the supreme moral virtue and the root of all civilization. The text argues that devotion to one’s parents is not merely a private family duty but the basis for social order and effective governance. By serving parents with reverence, an individual learns the loyalty necessary to serve a ruler. Ultimately, the Xiaojing bridges the gap between domestic affection and political ethics, suggesting that a harmonious state begins with the cultivation of the self within the family unit.
URLs
ChinaKnowledge.de
Item sets
Classical Texts

Linked resources