Resolving Confucian Parent-Child Relationship Issues Through Aristotle's Concept of Friendship

Abstract

The traditional Confucian concept of parent-child relationships, while emphasizing kinship, focuses more on "filial piety" and less on "benevolence," treating the father as the primary subject in addressing parent-child issues. Aristotle interprets familial love as a form of friendship, providing us with an opportunity for equality between father and son. In modern society, family relationships are no longer characterized by an undifferentiated public-private sphere, nor by distinctions of honor and disgrace. This demands that the Confucian concept of parent-child relationships regard children as equal individuals in the context of modernization, and separately narrate the responsibilities and obligations of fathers and sons.