Analects 2.7 · Wei Zheng
“Nowadays filial devotion is taken to mean simply providing for one’s parents. But even dogs and horses are provided for; without reverence, what is the difference?”
Meaning, context, and how to apply it today
今之孝者 是謂能養 至於犬馬 皆能有養 不敬 何以別乎 (jīn zhī xiào zhě, shì wèi néng yǎng, zhì yú quǎn mǎ, jiē néng yǒu yǎng, bù jìng, hé yǐ bié hū) means “Nowadays filial devotion is taken to mean simply providing for one’s parents. But even dogs and horses are provided for; without reverence, what is the difference?” It is a passage from the Analects of Confucius, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 7.
今之孝者 是謂能養 至於犬馬 皆能有養 不敬 何以別乎
- Pinyin
- jīn zhī xiào zhě, shì wèi néng yǎng, zhì yú quǎn mǎ, jiē néng yǒu yǎng, bù jìng, hé yǐ bié hū
- Translation
- Nowadays filial devotion is taken to mean simply providing for one’s parents. But even dogs and horses are provided for; without reverence, what is the difference?
- Source
- Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 7
What does this passage mean?
In the seventh chapter of Wei Zheng, Ziyou asks about filial devotion. Even then, it was commonly equated with feeding and supporting one’s parents. Confucius does not deny that support is necessary, but he observes sharply that on its own it is no different from keeping dogs and horses. What separates the two is reverence. Material care without a heart behind it comes close to mere upkeep. Confucius defined filial devotion not as the discharge of a duty but as the direction of the heart, and this passage is among the most frequently cited in the Analects on the subject.
How can we apply it today?
Filial devotion today is often measured in allowances, hospital bills, and holiday gifts. These matter. But if you send money every month while barely hiding your impatience during a phone call, your parents read the feeling accurately. The reverence Confucius describes is treating parents as full adults: asking their opinion, listening to the end, waiting for the slower pace that age brings. The same principle applies wherever care is needed. What facilities and services cannot replace is respect.
Questions to reflect on
- ·How much heart and attention do you bring to your parents or to those in your care?
- ·Is there a relationship where you provide materially but leave out respect?
- ·What does the other person truly want from you?
Character-by-character breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Strokes | Radical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 今 | jīn | now | 4 | 人 (person) |
| 之 | zhī | go; possessive particle | 4 | 丿 (slash) |
| 孝 | xiào | filial devotion | 7 | 子 (child) |
| 者 | zhě | thing; one who | 8 | 老 (old) |
| 是 | shì | this | 9 | 日 (sun) |
| 謂 | wèi | say; call | 16 | 言 (speech) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 養 | yǎng | nourish; support | 15 | 食 (eat) |
| 至 | zhì | arrive | 6 | 至 (arrive) |
| 於 | yú | at; in | 8 | 方 (square) |
| 犬 | quǎn | dog | 4 | 犬 (dog) |
| 馬 | mǎ | horse | 10 | 馬 (horse) |
| 皆 | jiē | all | 9 | 白 (white) |
| 能 | néng | capable | 10 | 肉 (meat) |
| 有 | yǒu | exist | 6 | 月 (moon) |
| 養 | yǎng | nourish; support | 15 | 食 (eat) |
| 不 | bù | not | 4 | 一 (one) |
| 敬 | jìng | respect | 13 | 攴 (tap) |
| 何 | hé | how | 7 | 人 (person) |
| 以 | yǐ | by means of | 5 | 人 (person) |
| 別 | bié | distinguish | 7 | 刀 (knife) |
| 乎 | hū | grammatical particle | 5 | 丿 (slash) |
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does “Nowadays filial devotion is taken to mean…” mean?
今之孝者 是謂能養 至於犬馬 皆能有養 不敬 何以別乎 (jīn zhī xiào zhě, shì wèi néng yǎng, zhì yú quǎn mǎ, jiē néng yǒu yǎng, bù jìng, hé yǐ bié hū) means “Nowadays filial devotion is taken to mean simply providing for one’s parents. But even dogs and horses are provided for; without reverence, what is the difference?” It comes from the Analects, Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 7.
Q. Where does this passage appear in the Analects?
It is Analects 2.7: Book 2 (Wei Zheng), Chapter 7.
Q. How can this teaching be applied today?
Filial devotion today is often measured in allowances, hospital bills, and holiday gifts.These matter.