St. Thomas Aquinas's Thoughts on Filial Piety in Comparison With Confucianism
Dong Tai Nguyen
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2025.18.03.01
Abstract
This study strives to compare and contrast St. Thomas Aquinas's idea of "filial piety" (pietas) with the Confucian idea of filial piety (孝). Even though these traditions came from very different places, I find and talk about surprising similarities in how they deal with family responsibilities. I also look into Aquinas's view on filial piety as a part of justice, its main parts, and the complicated relationship between family duties and worshiping God. The paper looks at whether and how Jesus Christ's relationship with the Father can be used as a model for how children should treat their parents. The analysis in this study is still in its early stages, but it seems to suggest that Aquinas's framework could help find new ways to bring together the historical differences between Catholic doctrine and ancestor worship in Confucianism.
Key words: Thomas Aquinas, filial piety, Catholicism, Confucianism, ancestor worship, religious dialogue
Pages: 3-17
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