A Tentative Study Of Yao Nationlity's Traditional Ethics And Morality

Yao nationality is a major minority of in the southern hilly areas of China.During its long history of development,a system of moral principles complying with Yao's productivity and living has taken shape. In social political ethics,public ownership is stressed,democratic discussion of official business is advocated,equality and harmony are pursued and sense of struggling for existence is strengthened.In social public ethics,qualities of industriousness and honesty are encouraged and moral education is emphasized.In marriage and family ethics,people hold the ideas of marrying a person of one's own choice,equality between men and women,respecting the old and harmonious associating. Most of these moral principles have become Yao's traditional virtues, which play an important role in both promoting Yao's economic development and maintaining the social stability.The spread of Yao's moral principles has its uniqueness.The habitual practice is public internalization;the daily customs are the expression of Yao's ethics;and religion is to intensify the function and spreading of ethics.Undoubtedly, there are still some elements in Yao's traditional ethics,which are out of tune with the modernization building as well as social development,and therefore severely hinder the development of Yao nationality.Owing to some outdated ideas and ways of behavior,Yao nationality in many places are still underdeveloped even to this day.Accordingly,exploring the modern values of Yao's ethics,passing on their positive elements, remoulding the backward aspects and bringing the importance of Yao's traditional virtues into full play is of great significance to lifting Yao areas out of poverty and building socialist new country.