A Probe Into The Issues Of Family Relations And Rites In Pre-qin Confucianism

"Qin Qin Hu Yin " and "Qie Fu er Tao" have caused extensive discussions in the domestic academic community,and these discussions are expressed in two irreconcilable positions.Critical scholars based on "affection among the family is priority" and "bend the law for personal gain " attacked the Confucian ethics.Meanwhile,many scholars based on "historicism" as the basic point to provide the reasonableness of Confucian's position.This article holds that the rationality under the scenario of the early Qin Dynasty is certainly important,but it needs to be further explored.Their own independent value can be used to respond positively to doubts.Therefore,on the basis of combing the core views of the scholars,this article first returns to the text,by analyzing the meaning of the keywords "hidden" and "straight" from " Qin Qin Hu Yin ",this article believes that the behavior of "mutual concealment" in Confucianism should be understood as the emotion of treasuring and the behavior caused by this emotion.Confucius affirmed the spontaneous moral heart behind the behavior.The behavior of Shun is the concretization and visualization of the Confucian concept of �Inner Saintliness and Outer Kingliness� � the optimal solution that Mencius can give.Therefore,Confucianism emphasizes the inherent virtue behind the behavior,whether it is relative "Qin Qin Hu Yin " or "Qie Fu er Tao"Pre-Qin Confucianism put the relationship between father and son in the concept of "filial piety".Filial piety,as an important content of Confucian ethics,is highlighted as "being sincere" and "being courteous".This kind of family relationship can reach the universal goodness through the connection of "sincerity" and "rites(form and quality)".The connotation of the Confucian concept of "ritual and law" is highlighted by comparison with the legalists: Confucian "rite" is close to "human nature" and contains the requirements for human's inner morality.Therefore,this article believes that blood relationship is not the principle of supremacy,and social etiquette is not an external requirement.Based on the above analysis,two explanations for conflict and harmony in the relationship between family and etiquette may be given.On the one hand,in terms of behavioral effects,Confucianism's affirmation of the subject of behavior inevitably causes indirect conflicts between relationship of family and rites,and this also conflicts with modern legal concepts and fair and just legal spirit.On the other hand,the behavior choices made by Confucius and Mencius in the extreme relationship between father and son have their deep meanings: both affection and rites(law)have roots in the goodness of human nature.The common roots of this goodness provide the possibility for the harmony of the two.Confucianism regards the goodness of human nature as the root and essence of ethics and ethics,including the conscious requirements for the individual 's inner morality,which is of great significance to the improvement of personal morality and the harmony of social relations.Simultaneously,it is necessary to guard against the misuse of the Confucian concept of "human relations",in order to safeguard the fairness and justice of the society.