Useful Things Help To Understand How Chinese Thinking（1）

2007-10-17

CHINESE BEHAVIOR PATTERNS

The Influence Of Tradition And Confucius

Confucius reignsThe ideas and values regarded as Confucian are still of paramount importance when trying to understand Chinese behaviour. Confucius (sixth to fifth century BC) wanted a political system where the emphasis was on properly ordered social relationships in society. Society was seen as pyramid shaped, with a paramount ruler at the top (the Emperor), a variety of officials administering the country in the middle, and families at the bottom. If everyone behaved properly one to another, then government would be stable, society would be well run, general harmony would prevail, and the nation would be prosperous and at peace.

In this Confucian system, the family played a central role. The male head of the family was responsible for the behaviour of the entire family and he, or in extreme cases the entire family, could be punished if a member of it committed a crime. Within the family, each person had a clearly defined relationship to the others and a person’s identity was in part established by his or her role within the group. Members were addressed as "Elder Daughter", or "Younger Brother" rather than by name, reinforcing the relationships. Anyone totally alone and without a family was generally pitied, while the state regarded them carefully and cautiously, as did people in general.

The values of the Confucian system are still strong, although the training under communism and the modernisation now occurring has weakened them a little.

Superiors really are superior -- Confucius

This principle applied both outside the family and within it. Lower classes respected those above them. Listing from the top down, the classes were scholars, officials, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Scholars and officials made up the respected "Gentry". Despite these official values, there was, and still is, a tendency for urban Chinese to despise rural dwellers as yokels. At the very bottom of traditional society were the outcast groups, such as actors (!), prostitutes, boat people and slaves.

In the workplace, one’s superiors merited automatic respect by virtue of rank. People still automatically defer to those above them in their work place, as well as in society in general.

Respect your family elders -- Confucius

Within the family, the rule was "filial piety", which is the household equivalent of having to respect those who are superior in society. The family head had to be obeyed by all, but younger brothers had to respect and obey elder brothers, as younger sisters did elder sisters. Females generally deferred to males, although the chief wife of the head of the family had much power and in the worst cases could be a mean domestic tyrant. The widespread Chinese respect for age and seniority comes from Confucian values; an older person is often seen as more experienced, wiser, and in some not clearly defined way, superior to those younger.