Filial Piety of Korea and Its Importance - Essay Example

Filial Piety of Korea and Its Importance Filial piety is one of the most fundamental concepts in many cultures in the world, and it has existed in these societies since time immemorial. While this is the case, this concept has come to fall into disuse since the beginning of the spread of the era of globalization. This is because of the fact that many of the young people are slowly becoming independent and they do not observe the traditional way of life like they once used to. While this has been the case elsewhere, it does not apply to Korea, where the idea of filial piety is still extremely strong and it is, in fact, one of the strongest ideals of the nation. Korea has been greatly influenced by Confucian thought concerning filial piety, which according to this philosophy is not only a virtue through the showing of respect for one’s parents, but it is also a means through which one shows respect for one’s ancestors. According to the Confucian thought, it is one’s duty to be good to his or her parents, to take care of them, and to display good behavior both within and without the home so that the ancestors and parents can have a good name or standing in society. Furthermore, it is one’s duty to ensure that one does one’s job well so that material means can be acquired to ensure that one’s parents are well taken care of and that sacrifices have been provided for the ancestors. Filial piety requires an individual not to be rebellious towards his parents and it also requires him to show love not only for his parents but also for his siblings as well (Maynard 49). One of the duties of filial piety also requires an individual to give wise advice to his parents in case they are involved in activities that are unrighteous. It is an individual duty to ensure that they display sorrow in case of his parent’s sickness or death, and carry out sacrifices for them after they die. When this is compared to Arab culture, one will find many similarities because in this culture, it is the duty of children to be respectful of their parents and siblings. However, Arabs do not offer sacrifices to their ancestors, but while this is so, it can be noted that Arabs honor their ancestors through the baring of their names. Arabs are, therefore similar to their Korean counterparts when it comes to fulfilling their filial duties. In Korea, filial piety is considered one of the basic tenets of society because it is said that the family, not the individual, is the basic unit of the nation. Because of this, morality is said to come from directly from the family and as such, filial piety plays an extraordinarily important role. Filial piety is what brings order within the family because it establishes the necessary hierarchy for the survival of the nation. A strong family is one that has abundance of filial piety and in Korea; it is the basic responsibility of its entire people to observe it. This idea is taught to all the children in the nation and this process has been ongoing for many centuries since its founding (Farris 293). It is an idea that many are taught to take to heart and observe all their lives, and the power of this idea is so great that it is believed that the observance of filial piety is what determines whether the nation can be governed or not. In the instance, families cannot be governed then the nation too would be ungovernable. Filial piety in Korea is also believed to be a major contributing factor to peace since filial duty within families is believed to be a source of peace in society. The same applies to Arab culture where the family, not the individual, is more essential in the social order. In the Arab world, the interests of the family are often put before those of the individuals, and because of this, one’s parents have an immense influence in the course of one’s life. It is the parents that determine who an individual will marry what course he or se will undertake in university, among many other things. As in Korean culture, it is the unity of the family which is considered to be the basic source of government in the society. Without family unity, then the society would become chaotic, and as in Korean beliefs, they would be ungovernable. One of the aspects of filial piety is devotion, and this implies that children are required to be devoted not only to their parents but also to their ancestors. In the traditional Korean society, for example, all children were required to live with their parents until such a time as they got married. Even though this was the case, even after marriage, it was the responsibility of the oldest son to live with and continue taking care of the parents until they met their deaths. With the coming of the modern age, however, this has changed since the old lifestyle of a large family living in a large house has changed considerably. Nowadays, families live in small apartments that would make one’s living with one’s parents impractical once they reach adulthood. The younger generation is becoming more independent as they move out of their parents’ home and start living their own lives (Connor 168). Despite this, many children still observe filial piety and they still come home often to fulfill their filial duties to their parents because it is still a powerful force in their lives. In the Arab culture, devotion to one’s parents is a basic duty of all children without exception. In fact, children, especially males, often continue living with their parents until the latter meet their deaths. Like Korean families, Arab families are extremely united and this unity is often based on the children and grandchildren being completely devoted to their elders. In Korea, it is a fact that those people who work in any sector of the economy have to fulfill their filial duties if they want to have success in their work. Those who are known not to perform their filial duties despite their excellence in their work tend to be passed over in promotions, and in some cases even end up losing their jobs because Koreans have no respect for such people. Hierarchy is extremely essential in Korean society because it is believed that a hierarchical structure is immensely important for the stability of society. Filial piety is considered to be one of the most vital factors that determine this structure since the basic component of Korean society is the family. In the modern Korean society, children are supposed to make time for their parents even if they live a long distance away from them. It is not uncommon for people to travel at least once a year to the home of their eldest brother so that they can be able to spend time with their parents and siblings. On such occasions, it can be observed that the younger generations show immense respect for their elders, performing all the duties that are required of them. The elders, on the other hand, acknowledge what their children and grandchildren do for them with the dignity that their status affords them. Such gestures of respect as allowing the elders to enter a room first before the younger generation are strictly observed because not to do so would be a sign of great impropriety on the part of the younger generation (Sugimoto 158). In this way, filial piety in Korea is still strong and this ideal is likely to continue for many generations to come. Works Cited Connor, Mary E. The Koreas: A Global Studies Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2002. Print. Farris, Catherine S. “Gender and Grammar in Chinese: With Implications for Language Universals.” Modern China 14.3 (1988): 277 – 308. Print. Maynard, Senko K. Japanese Communication: Language and Thought in Context. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997. Print. Sugimoto, Yoshio. An Introduction to Japanese Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010. Print. Read More