Introduction
Confucianism influenced the formation of Chinese society for centuries, and it remains the basis of culture nowadays. It is possible to find the manifestation of all Five Relationships described in Confucianism in the social life of early Chinese society when they were articulated. Old-young and parent-child relationships reflect the hierarchical views that determine the person’s worldview in ancient China. It is possible to state that these hierarchical relationships have merits and flaws within the context of early Chinese society. In all cases, they are critical in understanding how people historically interact in Chinese culture.
Discussion
Confucianism is the rule of morality that allows people in society to live according to ethical principles. Following these principles make the country live in harmony and unity (Strayer, Nelson 38-39). The relationships between old and young people are also the reflection of agreement and the relationships between parent and child. Therefore, supporting the unity of these remote systems is a vital component in the normal functioning of early Chinese society. According to Confucianism, a young person always subordinates an old individual due to a lack of experience and knowledge (Ames, Hershock 10). In other words, wisdom comes with age, and young people should respect those who are older. It is possible to apply the same principle to the relationships of the parent and the child, where the child should always respect the parent and follow their orders and advice. The hierarchical division of Chinese society based on the individual’s age is one of the main components of mutual respect and stability in the country in general and family in particular (Bai 31). Children and young people always know that they can seek help because older people are responsible for their well-being and are always ready to assist them.
The merits of the hierarchical relationships between young and older people and children and parents are similar. In both cases, young people and children are the vulnerable populations requiring older individuals’ protection and supervision. The respectful attitude to the hierarchy based on age allows them to find sources of knowledge and adapt to life in society (Bai 33). These two types of relationships reflect the idea that wisdom comes with experience and age. As a result, it is possible to discuss them as two components of one category connected concerning the knowledge associated with age. This example shows that in some cases, the flaws of the rigid system where older people are dominant and younger individuals are subordinate do not allow the country to progress and develop social mobility.
However, these relationships also have significant flaws, including inequality and oppression of those with subordinate positions in this hierarchy. Children have to submit to the orders of older people, and in many cases, it leads to the oppression of younger children by older children (Huang, Chin 172). In addition, it is problematic for more youthful individuals to find their place in society and overcome the rigid hierarchy that does not allow them to develop their skills (Huang, Chin 171). For example, a younger person cannot become the master when their master is alive and actively working because it will manifest disobedience and disrespect to the master’s age.
Conclusion
Summing up, early Chinese society was based on the principles of Confucianism in general and Five Relationships in particular. The relationships between old and young people and parent and child feature the idea that the younger and less experienced person is subordinate in the relationships and should respect the more senior and the wiser individual. Therefore, the child is less experienced than the adult person, and wisdom is closely connected with experience, determining the essence of the interaction between the community members. Following these principles allowed people in early Chinese society to understand the hierarchy and to behave according to the norms of politeness. It was the primary thing that would enable people to support social order and stability and ensure that the vulnerable groups in the community, including older people and children, would receive adequate support.
I think that specific ideas hold the country together, and believing in the opportunity to achieve success for every person is one of them. The so-called American dream unites people of all generations and makes them struggle to achieve the best results in the competition. It supposes that there is equality for everyone in the United States, and every person has the opportunity to become rich and famous if they work hard enough. This idea of the American dream that unites the community in the United States shows that most people believe equality of opportunities, hard work, and chance are the essential components of success. Even though faith in the American dream and the possibility of success for everybody has existed for centuries, it does not become weaker. People still believe that they can achieve the best results in the United States, and this idea is as strong as it was when the first immigrants arrived in the country.
Works Cited
Ames, Roger T., Hershock, Peter D. Confucianisms for a Changing World Cultural Order. University of Hawai’i Press, 2018.
Bai, Tongdong. Against Political Equality: The Confucian Case. Princeton University Press, 2020.
Huang, Chin-shing, Chin, Jonathan. Confucianism and Sacred Space: The Confucius Temple from Imperial China to Today. Columbia University Press, 2021.
Strayer, Robert W., Nelson, Eric W. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History, Value Edition, Volume 1. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2022.