Gu sou’s Violence, Shun’s Resentment: Examining Violence within Family Relations in Confucianism

This study examines the structure of violence within familial relationships and its justification in Confucianism. While violence is inherently evil in its essential context, certain forms of violence can be structurally justified depending on the context and the relationship between the subject and object. In Eastern traditions, the concept of ‘righteous killing’ (義殺) has existed since ancient times. Violence related to family members shows multilayered dynamics, particularly due to the unique concept of ‘filial piety’ (孝) which functions beyond blood relations as a political grammar. This research attempts to examine how violence by or against parents has been justified through various logic and pretexts in Confucian discourse. In China and Joseon, there were moral aberrations where people mutilated their own or their children’s bodies, or killed others in revenge for their parents, all in the name of filial piety. How does Confucian discourse justify these unfilial attempts that occur in the process of performing filial duty? Is the Confucian justification of violence related to filial piety valid or meaningful? Through examining cases of family-related violence in China and Joseon, this study aims to investigate how violence derived from the performance of filial piety or the embodiment of righteousness was justified or denied within Confucianism.