Filial Piety and Care for Elders: A Contested Confucian Virtue Reexamined

Filial piety is a Confucian value common in East Asian societies and among Asian-Americans that sets an expectation for children to respect and care for aging parents. Within social work and gerontology literature, filial piety is contested as being a positive or negative influence on families and social welfare policy. However, there has not been a detailed examination of filial piety as presented in the Confucian philosophy that advocates it. Accordingly, this article examines the Confucian view of filial piety in order to assist with the process of transforming it in ways that fit contemporary social conditions.