? Asian Canada Study 401 Final Paper: Women’s role under Confucius society Fan Yi 301178691 Introduction: For over two thousand years since the Han dynasty, Chinese culture has been guided by Confucian ideas. It became the fundamental Chinese cultural characteristic and therefore many people use Confucian ideas as their standards for morality and behaviour. Men were not only the ones to pursue Confucianism as their pattern, but also women too pursued it, even though women under a Confucian society had unequal and subordinate social status. Ban Zhao is a very famous female historian in ancient China and she had a very good reputation in Chinese history that her actions and speech were both appropriate. One of her most famous work was Nüjie (Lessons for Women), which was to educate and regularize her daughters about their behaviors before they married into other families. Nüjie as a standard for women’s behaviour has many similarities with basic Confucian ideas. Women at that time had lower social status compared to men. However Ban Zhao taught her daughters that women also have to behave like junzi, even though they were not allowed to be educated as men in the school. Some of the good qualities that she mentioned in Nüjie are also suitable for men, such as “Ren”, “De”,and“Xiao”. Many scholars in ancient China used the relationship between the husband and wife as a metaphor for the relationship between the emperor and the minister. The subordinate in both relationships (the wife and the minister) had to serve and obey the superior without precondition. Moreover, both of the subordinates were expected to give appropriate advice when the superior could not behave properly. Due to the unequal social status of women, the Nüjie of Ban Zhao has been criticized that she pushed women into a poorer condition. Her writings made ancient Chinese women attachments of their husband and the husband’s family. However, there are many others argued that women were not only attachments but also supporters and advisers, just like what the ministers do with their superiors. In The Nü-hsiao Ching by Cheng, giving advice to the husband when his behave is not right became a part of women’s duty and the wifely way. Filial piety: Analects is the most important article of Confucianism. Modern scholars summarized five elements from Confucius ideas, they are “Ren”, “Yi”, “Li”, “Zhi” and “Xin”. “Ren” is core concept of all the Confucius ideas, and filial piety is recognized as the basic idea of “Ren”. Filial piety cannot simply understood as support parents with food and shelters. It requires that younger generations to respect, serve and submissive the elder ones but not only limited to respect, serve and submissive: “While his parents are alive, the son may not go abroad to a distance. If he does go abroad, he must have a fixed place to which he goes” (4:19) “If the son for three years does not alter from the way of his father, he may be called filial.” (4:20) “The years of parents may by no means not be kept in the memory, as an occasion at once for joy and for fear.” (4: 21)(Ames,1998) All these words show the basic idea that the younger generation should fully care about the parents who gave his life and raised him up with a genuine mind. Even “dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support; - without reverence, what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?” (2:7)(Ames, 1998) Confucius advised to rule a country with Ren and Xiao not only because these two concepts are not only good virtues of human being but also fit the benefit of ruling class to keep the society stable. This idea can be found in the Analects that he philosopher You said, "They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have been fond of stirring up confusion. The superior man bends his attention to what is radical. That being established, all practical courses naturally grow up. Filial piety and fraternal submission! - are they not the root of all benevolent actions?" (1:2) (Ames, 1998) During the Spring and Autumn Period, Entropy primogeniture was implemented among the whole society. It was necessary to have a social order to keep the social stability,from the ordinary to the lords, from the vassals to the emperor. Some one addressed Confucius, saying, "Sir, why are you not engaged in the government?" The Master said, "What does the Shu Jing say of filial piety? - 'You are filial, you discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities are displayed in government.' This then also constitutes the exercise of government. Why must there be THAT - making one be in the government?" (2:21) (Ames, 1998