『논어』에서 말하는 공자 효 사상의 본질적 의미 - ‘공자에게 있어서 삼년상과 제사는 효일까?’를 절문(切問)하는 과정에서 -

Abstract

‘HYO(孝: filial piety, filial son)’ is defined as ‘a person who properly has succeeded or will succeed the good deeds that one's parents used to perform based on solemn and focused attitude’. Support for parents, funeral rites lasting for three years, and ancestral rites as long as one lives are just some of the methods to appropriately practice filial piety and perceptive behaviors. The filial piety discussed in The Analects of Confucius(論語) through Confucius' mouth was examined. First, filial piety is ‘not changing one's father's dào(道: footsteps of life, ways of practice) and what one's father did with great cause in mind for at least three years since one's father's death’. Second, filial piety is ‘not going against parents’. That is, ‘following father's legacy, holding a funeral, and performing ancestral rituals through lǐ(禮: Confucian rites)’. It was what Confucius intended to tell Mèngyìzi(孟懿子), the feudal lord of ‘Mèngsūnshì(孟孫氏), the second-top family with power and a feudal state of Lǔ(魯)’, which means that one can be a true successor only when one does everything selflessly following principles and institution. Third, filial piety is ‘restraining oneself from doing too bold actions at risk’. It was the answer for the question about filial piety by Mèngwŭbó(孟武伯), a successor of Mèngyìzi(孟懿子). Confucius gave this answer, which was inappropriate for his pisition, because he couldn't tell Mèngwŭbó(孟武伯) to follow his father's past actions, who rather persecuted his lord whom he had to assist. Fourth, filial piety is ‘not changing the achievements one's father's vassals or that one's father had rectified’. In this case, it was the filial behaviors that Mèngzhuāngzǐ(孟莊子) actually practiced for his late father, Mèngxiànzǐ(孟獻子). In historical books, Mèngxiànzǐ(孟獻子) is recorded as a sage who was faithful to his lord, the lord of Lǔ(魯) of feudal states, and made great accomplishments for his nation. Fifth, true filial piety is ‘concentrating on carrying on one's parents' work(事親) seriously, rather than supporting one's parents with good foods and clothes’.