Investigating Ancient Chinese Ethics and Morality

Confucius once said, "The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools." As one of the oldest civilizations, China has a rich history of ethics and morality, with thoughts and beliefs that span centuries. But what are these ancient Chinese morals and virtues, and how do they influence current day Chinese society?

The Chinese traditionally believed in five core virtues: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, knowledge, and integrity. Developed by Confucius and his followers, these virtues were considered essential in maintaining an orderly society and achieving personal harmony. Benevolence, or ren, meant treating other people or animals with kindness, while righteousness, or yi, was being faithful to an ideal and never deviating from it. Propriety, or lǐ, was related to acceptable social behavior, knowledge, or zhì, required actively learning about the world around you, and integrity, or xìn, was about being honest and having strong moral convictions.

Living a life following these virtues not only helped people maintain a good reputation in society but also helped them internalize these values, allowing them to live in harmony with the world around them. Confucianism linked morality to rewards, believing that virtuous behavior was seen as good fortune in life, as well as the afterlife. Interestingly, ethical values were also linked to objects like jade and bamboo, symbolic of a moral, inner beauty and strength of character.

But Chinese society isn't just based on Confucianism. Chinese ethics can be found in other traditional Chinese religions and philosophies such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Legalism. Taoism focused on harmonizing a person's inner and outer worlds, while Buddhism put its belief in personal enlightenment and respect for all life. Legalism was concerned with punishments and rewards and making sure people followed the law. These ancient Chinese moral traditions still influence Chinese people today.
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In the modern era, ethical values are seen in various aspects of Chinese culture like filial piety, the kindness and respect shown to the elderly. This has even been recognized as a law in mainland China, with those who do not follow filial piety being legally punished. Other important ethical codes include ethical self-cultivation, where people work to be more understanding and tolerant in life; as well as ethical codes of modern professions like engineering and medicine where people are required to uphold certain values like honesty and integrity.

Although moral teachings in ancient China no longer apply in the same way in our current society, many of us can still benefit from looking back at this long and rich history of morality and ethics. What can we learn from ancient Chinese ethics and how can it shape the morality of the future?
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