유가 효사상의 본질과 현대적 의의

Abstract

In this paper, based on "The Analects", "Mencius" and "Classic of Filial Piety", the author would investigate the intention of Confucian thought on filial piety as well as its effectiveness and incongruity in present life. In Confucianism, the filial piety is mainly considered the foundation for the realization of humaneness. As the expansion of this meaning, "filial piety" can come to mean the basis for the realization of human love. One of the most important questions in the life of contemporary human being is how to resolve problems arising from individual egoism, family egoism, collectivism, national egoism etc, and construct a just and fair society. If filial piety is simply seen as the repayment of children to their parents' love and kindness, then it can be misunderstood as being nearly sunk into the family egoism. The expansion of filial piety from the love for family into the realization of love for all human beings is the very realization of the eternal gratitude to the basic and real kindness. Parents are the root of our physical and spiritual being as an ego existing and living. The gratitude to this grace of parents is hardly verbalized. Thus if we have not even the gratitude to this grace, then we will not be able to have love for others. However the important thing here is that we cannot stop only at the love for our parents; only when this love becomes the starting point of the love for others can it be significant. In this paper, the author would investigate the Confucian thought on filial piety by classifying its key contents into some aspects such as the realization of humaneness, good life, service to parents and offering of advice, funeral and worship etc. And from this investigation the author would evaluate its effectiveness and incongruity in the present life.