论中国传统文化中的“孝”

A brief talk on filial piety in Chinese traditional culture

“孝”的原始含义是崇拜祖先、孝敬祖先，以祈求祖先对其子孙的庇佑，属于人伦范畴。后被统治阶级引伸到政治生活中，与礼、义、忠、信并列而成为统治人民的一种工具。本文对“孝”在不同历史时期的衍化及其二重性探本溯源，吸取精华、剔除糟粕。

The sense of being filial was originally applied to the worship of one’s ancestors when praying for their protection of the descendants. It was, therefor, an ethical term. Then, being gradually used in political field by the ruling class, the sense of filial devotion or piety, together with propriety, righteousness, loyalty and faith, became a tool to rule people. Tracing its historical development in different stages and studying its duality nature, rejecting its dross and assimilating its essence, this article attempts to point out the due role of filial piety for the construction of socialist spiritual civilisation.