Filial Duty
Filial Duty, Chapter 13: Amplification of the Highest Virtue
The proper way of serving the ruler combines loyalty, remonstrance with respect, and constant devotion.
Translation
CHAPTER XIII
AMPLIFICATION OF “THE HIGHEST VIRTUE”
Confucius said: “When a ruler wishes to teach his people to love their
parents, he does not go to their family every day to teach them. He
teaches them by his showing reverence to all old people. In the same
manner he teaches his people to show respect to their elders by doing
so first; and to be loyal to their ruler by his doing duty to his
superiors first.
“The Shih Ching says, ‘The behaviour of the ruler is so good that he
is loved by the people as their parent.’ A ruler could not have been
so loved by his people had he not possessed the highest virtue.”
Practical Reading
The proper way of serving the ruler combines loyalty, respectful remonstrance, and constant devotion. The inclusion of remonstrance is significant—true loyalty includes the courage to speak difficult truths.
In any relationship of service or obedience, ask: am I offering merely compliance, or am I offering the best of my judgment? Filial duty does not require passivity. The text honors the official who respects the ruler enough to speak up when something is wrong—the same principle applies in modern workplaces and families alike.