“孝”的历史命运及其原始意蕴

The Source Connotation and Historical Evolution of the Concept of Xiao(孝)

"孝"是中国传统伦理道德体系中的基德。自"孝"文化产生时代起,它就受到了特别的推崇。在中国古代,孝文化经历了一个由神本到人本、由家庭道德到政治道德的历史变迁。"善事父母"不是"孝"字的原始涵义,而追祀事鬼、"继志述事"更接近"孝"的原始义。甲骨文的"孝"字与金文之后的"孝"字结构及其涵义的差别,反映的是殷周之际伦理文化的变革,即由"神本"伦理到"人本"伦理的变革。

Xiao（孝）, which has been highly valued by the Chinese people since the concept came into existence, is one of the ethical bases upon which the traditional Chinese ethical system is established. The conception of Xiao underwent changes from god-worshipping to people-orientedness, from familial morals to political morals through different historical periods of the ancient China. This paper attempts to bring to light the source connotation and the historical evolution of the conception of Xiao. Originally, Xiao does not mean ＂filial piety＂, but very possibly it means ＂worshipping ancestors and carrying out their behests＂. The different compositional structures and connotations of the Chinese character Xiao found among inscriptions on carapace-bones and inscriptions on ancient bronze objects of the Shang and Zhou Dynasty respectively reflect the evolution of the ethical conceptions of Xiao from god-worshipping to people-orientedness.