The term filial piety is defined as the reverence to parents (Merriam-webster.com, n.d.), it is also a common term used widely in Asian culture. According to (Banzan, 1999) filial piety is connected to loyalty and devotion to parents’ needs and other elders of the family. It is also about putting the parents’ needs above. On the broader aspect its meaning varies depending on the culture and religion. (Banzan, 1999) also points out that filial piety has different meanings among Confucian scholars of East Asia.
Originally filial piety was traced back in Chinese culture, which then was based on feudal society, when the life depended on hierarchical parties. The main moral idea of filial piety in China is to spread the inner love feelings to others especially to parents. With the rapid rise Chinese economy and the prevalence of the communist party, both Confucianism and filial piety have relatively decreased its number of followers.
In Japan the concept of filial piety was firstly adopted only in the seventeenth century, which makes it a quite new doctrine. Today Japan is one of the most advanced and developed countries, however filial piety has also transformed from its original roots. Despite the growth of technology and fast aging society, the filial piety is still widely followed in Japan.
Korean filial piety was firstly represented in society in the twelfth century and has spread during the rule of Choson dynasty. With the spread of Confucianism in Korea, the filial piety was widely adopted by society, in which the elder family members were respected. (MARTIN, 1990) says that the future of filial piety in East Asian countries can meet the decrease, due to the fact that the politics of these countries is based on the restriction of the number of children in a family.
References
Banzan, K. (1999). Filial Piety and Loyalty in Tokugawa Confucianism. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 99-107.
Haboush, J. (1995). Filial Emotions and Filial Values: Changing Patterns in The Discourse of Filiality in Late Choson Korea. Harvard Journal Of Asiatic Studies, 55(1), 129. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2719422
MARTIN, L. (1990). Changing Intergenerational Family Relations in East Asia. The ANNALS Of The American Academy Of Political And Social Science, 510(1), 102-114. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0002716290510001008
Merriam-webster.com,. Definition of FILIAL PIETY. Retrieved 19 January 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filial%20piety
