Unspoken Pain: “Concealing” as a Mode of Expression – Starting from “Fathers and Sons Conceal Each Other’s Wrongdoings”

Abstract In China’s ancient patriarchal clan system, individuals were bound by their ethical roles and could not discuss the faults of rulers and parents. In the Analects of Confucius , it says, “The father conceals the wrongdoing of the son, and the son conceals the wrongdoing of the father.” Examples of concealing in the Chunqiu Gongyang zhuan 春秋公羊傳 reveal that there are two connotations of concealing: first, the concealing that means “not speaking” ( buyan 不言 ), and second, the “pain” ( tong 痛 ) of “being unable to bear something” ( buren 不忍 ). Thus, concealing became a distinctive mode of speech, emphasizing how the sincerity of one’s ethical feelings constrains and regulates verbal expression. When filial sons and loyal courtiers were burdened with the ethical and political failings of their rulers and parents, they could only handle their distress, their moral stance, and ethical commitment by hiding their feelings. These situations are also reflected in the content and lyricism of the Shijing 詩經 and related works of song and poetry.