The morality of "three obedience" has evolved from mourning system to interpersonal domination and obedience, which corresponds to the "three cardinal guides" advocated by the Han Dynasty-"the father is the child's guide" and "the husband is the wife's guide", which is extended to the relationship between men and women. "Obey" has multiple meanings-obey, follow, obey and follow. Women who are required to abide by the morality of "three obedience" cannot be independent (objectifying women), but must act according to their father's orders, husband's orders and son's wishes, so as to be filial to women, virtuous to their wives and virtuous to their mothers.
"Obeying the father without marriage" means asking the unmarried "housemaid" to listen to their parents, and "not disobeying their father's orders" means "filial piety" (according to Confucius' explanation, "pro" refers to parents, but also "filial piety"); Daughter filial piety, in addition to taking care of daily life, but also to stand up when her father is in danger. For example, Emperor Wendi of the Western Han Dynasty persuaded Wendi to abolish corporal punishment, and her father was spared from sin. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao E drowned to save his father from drowning (there is a "Cao E Monument" in history to commend Cao E's filial piety). Obeying "parents' orders" in lifelong marriage is also a manifestation of "obedience" and filial piety.
Married and married
"Married husband" means that a woman who marries as a wife must obey her husband's orders. A gentle and virtuous wife refers to an auxiliary husband.
"Being a husband" begins with a woman's marriage, and the ceremony of marriage is "handsome men and beautiful women, women follow men, and the meaning of husband and wife begins from now on"; The mother told her daughter that "it doesn't violate the master." When you go to your husband's family, you get kinship terms (such as daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt, sister-in-law, etc. ) according to your husband's seniority and age. The wife regards her husband as "heaven", "destiny cannot escape, and her husband's life cannot be violated", so she must obey and respect her husband, and he will sing along with her. Meng Guang in the Han Dynasty, for example, was known as "treating her husband as a distinguished guest".
Wives and wives also need to perform filial piety on behalf of their husbands, serve the daily life of their in-laws, and have children for their husbands; Since the Song Dynasty, "nurturing husband and educating children" has become the most important duty of women. "Being a husband" means being loyal to her husband and keeping chastity. After her husband died, she didn't serve him or even become a martyr. In the Spring and Autumn Period, her husband was captured by the State of Chu, and the King of Chu forced her to be his wife. She died unsatisfied and became a model for history books to praise chastity. The official recognition of chastity in past dynasties has become a system, which has led to some women's self-mutilation. Even before her husband was about to die of illness and death, wives and concubines died early to show their loyalty to her husband.
Husband is dead, follow son.
"When the husband dies, the child follows", that is, after the husband dies, a woman must obey her son's orders. A good wife and a good mother refer to raising and assisting her son. Is the continuation of the woman's husband, the father died and the son inherited. Essence: honorable people are humble, humble people respect them, and honorable people in turn respect humble people. Used to prevent the prince from being manipulated by his consorts after he was a minor and the female emperor from appearing.
Evolution of four virtues
The "Four Virtues" were originally the cultivation and accomplishment of the four necessary qualities of court women-morality, speech, tolerance and skill, which included the four traditional educational contents of "women's studies", so Confucianism called it "four teachings" and also called "four lines". Originated from the education of women in the court, it belongs to "Yin Li" (the etiquette that women abide by) and "Yin Duty" (the responsibility that women bear), and soon expanded to the upper-class families to undertake the cultivation of women's roles.
When the girl was ten years old, she was educated by a female teacher at home-teaching "gentle delivery, obedience" (morality, speech, forbearance, pliancy and obedience), holding hemp (spinning hemp thread, ancient clothes were mostly hemp, ge and silk), treating silkworm cocoons, weaving and making clothes, and learning a series of jobs (work, weaving, sewing and preparation) three months before marriage. After the training is completed, a sacrificial ceremony will be held to make the woman obedient.
It can be seen that "four virtues" serve the morality of "three obedience". The "four virtues" were later summarized as requirements for all women. According to Zheng Xuan's explanation, "women's virtue is chastity, women's words are rhetoric, women's capacity is gentle delivery, and women's work is diaosi." Later generations have been making new explanations.
With regard to "three obedience and four virtues", we should first see that these requirements and norms for women came into being in a specific era, out of a certain need, and also changed with the changes of society. After the establishment of patriarchal marriage and family in the Zhou Dynasty and the clear boundaries between men and women, there appeared a moral code of "three obedience" that required women to obey their fathers, husbands and children, that is, the female role in the family was subordinate to men. The "four virtues" are the etiquette, manners and operational skills that women must have to practice the moral goal of "three obedience". Under the influence of Confucian culture, the interaction of "three obedience" morality, the promotion and cultivation of "four virtues" and the intimidation and punishment of "seven out" rules gradually disciplined the virtues of traditional women.