Moralist Views in History and Fiction

1. Moralist Views in History and Fiction • Confucian moralism had great impact on historical writing and fictional writing • Mencius: “I like fish and I also like bear’s paw. If I cannot have both of them, I shall give up the fish and choose bear’s paw. I like life and I also like righteousness. If I cannot have both of them, I shall give up life and choose righteousness.” (6a: 10) • Sima Qian” “A noble person dies for his bosom friends”; “ A man can only die once, and whether death to him is as weighty as Mount Tai or as light as a feather depends on the reason for which he dies….”

2. Gender in Confucian Moralism • Men and women had their respective roles/identities. Confucius: • “When the Great Way was practiced, the world was shared by all alike. …the young were provided with an upbringing and the widow and widower, the orphaned and the sick, with proper care. Men had their tasks and women their hearts…..” • “Now the Great Way has become hid and the world is the possession of private families…..Ritual and righteousness are used to regulate the relationship between ruler and subject, to insure affection between father and son, peace between brothers, and harmony between husband and wife….”

3. Gender Relations in Confucian System • Three Bonds and Five [Human] Relationships • Three bonds: what binds the ruler with the minister, the father with the son, and the husband with the wife • Five relationships: • While the relations were originally established on the basis of mutual moral obligation, the ruler, the father, and the husband are superior to the ruled, the son, and the wife. • The hierarchy became a moral and ethical standard in the Han because of Dong Zhongshu’s new interpretation.

4. Yin-Yang Theory Enhances Confucian Moralism • Yin and Yang principles used to denote gender relations: • Yang: qian(ch’ien): heaven: high: honorable: male: activity • Yin: kun (k’un): earth: low: humble: female: tranquility • Variant applications of the Yin-Yang theory • Two forces should be equal, complementary, and balanced • Yang should be stronger than or superior to yin, hence more numerous than yin • Imbalance of Yin and Yang • Less a problem when yang exceeds yin • More a problem when Yin exceeds yang

5. Symbolism of Yin in Gender Relations • Liu Xiang (79-8 BC): Biographies of Women (Lienu zhuan) • Records of women notable for their devotion to their husbands and for their “chastity” under duress • Ban Zhao (c. 45-116): Admonition for Girls(Nu jie) • Preaches the cultivation of virtues appropriate to women’s role: humility, subservience, obedience, cleanliness, and industry

6. Ban Zhao’s View of Gender Relations (1st C) • Ban Zhao’s Admonition for Girls • Humility: “let a woman modestly yield to others; let her respect others; let her put others first, herself last.” • Husband and wife: “If a husband does not control his wife, then the rules of conduct manifesting his authority are abandoned and broken. If a wife does not serve her husband, then the proper relationship between men and women and the natural order of things are neglected and destroyed.” • Respect and Caution: “As yin and yang are not of the same nature, so man and woman have different characteristics” • Man=yang=rigidity=strength • Woman=yin=yielding=gentleness • Respect and caution expressed in the use of proper words and actions • Proper words and actions→ harmony and intimacy→conjugal love • Sharp words and improper actions→destruction of marriage→separation

7. Ban Zhao’s View of Womanly Qualification • A woman ought to have four qualifications: • Womanly virtue (fu de) • Guard carefully her chastity, control circumspectly her behavior, in every motion to exhibit modesty, and to model each act on the best usage • Womanly words (fu yan) • Choose her words with care, avoid vulgar language, speak at appropriate times, and not to weary others with much conversation • Womanly bearing (fu rong) • Wash and scrub filth away, keep clothes and ornaments fresh and clean, wash the head and bathe the body rgularly, and keep the person free from disgraceful filth • Womanly work (fu gong) • With wholehearted devotion to sew and to weave, to love not gossip and silly laughter, in cleanliness and order to prepare the wine and food for serving guests

8. Lady Zheng’s View of Gender Relations (I) • The book of filial piety for women (8th C)—circulated widely in Ming and Qing times • Continued the legacy of Ban Zhao (referred to as Lady Ban) • Follow the way of the wife and utilize moral principle to the best advantage • Serving parents-in-law is their priority • “Reverent in correcting inside matters, principled in her dealings with the outside.” • Sets an example of rectitude and virtue for husband to copy • Takes the initiative in being reverent and yielding so that husband is not competitive

9. Lady Zheng’s View of Gender Relations (II) • Bring order to nine relations • Not neglect husband, nor husband’s concubine, • Not mistreat sisters-in-law, nor servants • Not insult lower-ranking family members, nor chickens and dogs • Use wisdom and intelligence properly to help husband according to the principle of yin-yang interdependence • Fulfill five requirements: (modeled on Confucian five relationships) • Maintain formality (official and ruler) • Reverence (father and child) • Right manner (siblings) • Agreements and trust (friends) • Flawless words and actions (family)

10. Lady Zheng’s View of Gender Relations (III) • Follow the teachings of the sage: • Purity, obedience, rectitude, straightforwardness, gentleness, absence of jealousy, orderliness in the inner quarters, absence of contact with the outside, and the ability to not be so stimulated by sights and sounds that desires are pursued recklessly • Most heinous offense is jealousy • “Husband has a hundred actions, wife has a single purpose. For men there is the principle of successive marriages, but there is no text authorizing women to marry more than once.” • Miss Jiang would rather drown than leave the flooded place (because the messenger sent to fetch her did not carry a tally)

11. Lady Zheng’s View of Gender Relations (IV) • A wife’s moral function • A husband needs his wife to point out his errors just like a feudal lord needs a minister, a higher officer needs officials, a gentleman needs a friend, and a father need a son to point out their respective errors. • Influence of wife’s moral power • “When a husband might do something wrong, a wife warns against it. How can following a husband’s order be considered wise?” • husband can become successful because of wife’s moral/intellectual advice/persuasion

12. Lady Zheng’s View of Evil Women • Women caused the fall of Chinese dynasties • The fall of the Xia dynasty was due to [the concubine of the last king], Moxi • The fall of the Shang was due to [the concubine of its last king], Daji • The fall of the Zhou was due to [the concubine of its last king], Baosi • Women caused the downfall of feudal lords • The calamity befalling Shensheng [the crown prince of Jin] resulted from [the slander osf his father’s concubine], Linu • The demise of [the last heir of the Liang dynasty], Minhuai began with [the Jin empress], Nanfeng.