儒家公私观在现代社会的意义

Abstract

In Confucianism, filial piety is regarded as an important social care method for the elderly, and it is also regarded as a social ethics to maintain social orders. In this matter, filial piety belongs to not only in private but also in public. Could we found any insights on elderly care policy for modern capitalist society from such perspectives? In a capitalist society commodity-production always comes first. A family which only consumes commodities is devalued. In contrast to the industry which produces commodities, a family is considered to be in private. In this context, Confucian filial piety is hard to be supported because filial piety is in private matter, and it cannot be acknowledged as social ethics. In a capitalist society, a family has dissolved, minimized and isolated from the community due to the long term individualization owing to materialization of human relationship. This weakens the foundation of filial piety which is based on a strong emotional human relationship. Therefore, the filial piety may not be maintained as an ethics which is for elderly care and social orders. Further, Confucianism regarding filial piety may be easily considered as 'outdated’. But Confucian filial piety may have different implications regarding a social carefor the elderly. Recently our society pays attention to an elder care issue, because it is harder for a family to take care of their elderly. If people would have more concerns about care issues, it would be a public issue. But a family care is still in private. To resolve that inconsistency we need to find an insight from Confucianism to regard filial piety as a public matter. Social care is fulfilled on the materialized human relationship in labor markets. Though this can ensure the elderly's biological safety, but it cannot solve their psychological comfort. Social care without any family support could be breeding. To complement the vulnerability of social care we need to understand filial piety. And filial piety could cultivate the moral sense of a social carer. Thus we can say that Confucian filial piety is not outdated, but advanced.