[기조강연1:] 유교문화권의 효, 효행 비교 연구 - 베트남과 대한민국을 중심으로

A Comparative Study of Filial Piety and Filial Piety Practices in Confucian Cultures : Focusing on Vietnam and South Korea

Filial piety(孝) is the core idea, culture, spirit, and lifestyle of Confucian cultures. Recently, research on filial piety has been actively conducted not only within Confucian cultures but also in the West. However, in the West (English-speaking world), where Chinese scholars lead research, filial piety is unquestionably scrutinized as “a Confucian concept originating in Chinese culture.” According to them, filial piety is rooted in “a unique family tradition of traditional Chinese culture.” Here, we see that Chinese scholars‘ English papers have taken <filial piety = Chinese thought> as an established fact. However, strictly speaking, filial piety is a “universal idea” that transcends both East and West. Children's respect for and support of their parents is a humanistic value practiced across the globe, regardless of culture, religion, or era. If filial piety is practiced as a humanistic value, it will undoubtedly become a springboard for a “new humanism.” Moreover, even within the Confucian cultural sphere, the study of filial piety has undergone a process of acceptance and transformation, resulting in diverse ethical practices that continue to this day. Therefore, it's not surprising that there differences in the ’sense of filial piety(孝感)’ perceived by younger generations in countries like China, South Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. This difference in filial piety manifests itself in differences in ‘filial piety consciousness(孝意識)’ and ‘filial piety practice(孝行)’. This is why we cannot approach the study of filial piety solely with a retrospective approach, focusing on its origins (i.e., the thought of Confucius and Mencius). Modern society, regardless of whether it's Eastern or Western, is increasingly becoming more nuclear. As the nuclear family grows, issues such as parental support, elderly care, loneliness among the elderly, and financial support for the elderly inevitably emerge as pressing social issues. We cannot place full responsibility on families, nor can we claim that limited social support can solve these problems. In this study, guided by these concerns, I will examine the understanding and practice of filial piety in South Korea and Vietnam, which, in my opinion, are exemplary in the practice of filial piety and filial piety among Confucian countries, from a comparative cultural perspective. I will then propose that we overcome the aging society by promoting a culture of filial piety with the core axes of the filial piety idea, “family” and “communitarianism”.