The goals, means and influencing factors of ancient family moral education for Chinese children

Abstract

In ancient China, the goal of moral education in the family was to cultivate a man of virtue. The content of moral education mainly included ambition, serving the country and helping the people, filial piety, respect for elders, love for the clan, uniting brothers and fostering neighborliness, being indifferent to fame and wealth, industriousness and thrift, fostering virtues, telling right from wrong and elevating moral character. The implementation means of moral education in ancient families can be studied according to family precepts, poems, songs, pithy formulas (often in rhyme) handed down, and the records of various ceremonies and educational activities. The main factors that affect the implementation of family moral education are parents’ concepts of the moral education, the moral character and cultural quality of parents, the specific living conditions and ways of families, the interpersonal relationship and culture of families, as well as the humanistic and natural environment around families.