The evolution of "three from four virtues"

The "Four Virtues" were originally the cultivation and accomplishment of the four necessary qualities of court women-morality, speech, tolerance and skill, which included the four traditional educational contents of "women's studies", so Confucianism called it "four teachings" and also called "four lines". Originated from the education of women in the court, it belongs to "Yin Li" (the etiquette that women abide by) and "Yin Duty" (the responsibility that women bear), and soon expanded to the upper-class families to undertake the cultivation of women's roles.

When the girl was ten years old, she was educated by a female teacher at home-teaching "gentle delivery, obedience" (morality, speech, forbearance, pliancy and obedience), holding hemp (spinning hemp thread, ancient clothes were mostly hemp, ge and silk), treating silkworm cocoons, weaving and making clothes, and learning a series of jobs (work, weaving, sewing and preparation) three months before marriage. After the training is completed, a sacrificial ceremony will be held to make the woman obedient.

It can be seen that "four virtues" serve the morality of "three obedience". The "four virtues" were later summarized as requirements for all women. According to Zheng Xuan's explanation, "women's virtue is chastity, women's words are rhetoric, women's capacity is gentle delivery, and women's work is diaosi." Later generations have been making new explanations. Women's virtue is the most important one in women's education, and Zheng Xuan's chastity obedience is the core of women's virtue. "Chastity" means sticking to chastity, keeping a clean body and being loyal to her husband. "Shun" means "obedience and obedience" in the Book of Rites, and it is polite to in-laws, husbands and even family members.

Ban Zhao, a female educator in the Han Dynasty, especially pointed out in "Women's Commandments" that "women's morality does not have to be exclusive" (meaning that there is no need to have special talents, which is the original basis of the catchphrase "women without talents are virtuous" in the Ming Dynasty), and that she has women's morality. Ban Zhao pays more attention to the cultivation of women's moral quality. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the standard of "women's morality" was more specific and detailed, and there were detailed norms for women in different situations and roles: as wives, husbands and uncles (in-laws) should be obedient and gentle, and as wives, they should "get rid of jealousy" and help their husbands take concubines; As a mother, you should be able to "teach your son" and "be kind to your stepmother"; When you get along with your family, you should "get along with your uncle and sister (brother-in-law and sister-in-law)" and "get along in harmony". If the family is poor, it must be "poor", rich and frugal. It also includes "respect for the body", "loyalty", "chastity" and "revenge" ... with a series of virtues. At first, out of fear that "a woman with a glib tongue will subvert the country", the ethical code stipulated the words of women. In The Book of Songs, Zhou Youwang was scolded and praised as "the eldest daughter is arrogant" (a gossip is the chief culprit of national subjugation). However, speaking is also a necessary accomplishment and skill. Zheng Xuan's explanation of "women's talk" is "rhetoric", which means being good at coping and speaking appropriately. Ban Zhao thinks that "women's words" don't need to be glib and eloquent, just consider whether the words are appropriate, don't hurt people with ugly words, don't grab words, don't say more, and don't be annoying. If a big family hates women, it will sow discord among family members, and a talkative woman will be punished, which constitutes one of the "seven extinctions".

Lan Dingyuan's "Women's Studies" gave concrete and positive guidance to "women's words", saying that "women's words are not expensive, but expensive (appropriate)". Various occasions need different appropriate words, such as encouraging husbands, teaching children, euphemistically advising, being conscientious, showing wisdom, avoiding disasters and so on. Therefore, "women's words" need the cultivation of wisdom and knowledge. Confucianism has special standards for women's appearance modification. Confucius advocated valuing virtue over color, and asked her husband to be "virtuous and easy to change color" because he valued his wife's character rather than beauty. The requirement for women's appearance is to emphasize simplicity and decoration, while "smelting capacity" is close to "teaching prostitution" (deliberately dressing up is equal to tempting men's temperament desire).

Zheng Xuan's explanation of women's appearance is "elegant delivery", which means gentle expression. Ban Zhao believes that women's appearance does not mean beautiful colors, but in daily life, for women's appearance, "washing away dirt, wearing fresh and clean, taking a bath in time, not dirty and not insulting"-that is, diligent in sweeping the floor, neatly dressed, taking a bath on time, paying attention to hygiene, is in line with women's appearance standards.

Lan Dingyuan's requirements for women's appearance focus on the practicality of different occasions, such as "women's appearance should be dignified and respectful, children should be gentle and respectful", "respect for husband", etc., when pregnant, dignified, sorrowful and restrained when mourning, calm and calm when avoiding chaos, and die hard when necessary. The "women workers" in the four virtues of women's studies refer to the labor and work that women are engaged in. The gender division of labor is that the male is the master and the female is the master, so the standard of "female worker" has not changed much for thousands of years-picking mulberry and sericulture, spinning and weaving, feeding and preparing wine pulp in the process of doing business; I have to support my in-laws and husband, have children and entertain guests; There is also the important work of preparing sacrificial supplies and assisting sacrificial ceremonies.

Ban Zhao believes that "women's work does not need skills" and "it is not funny to concentrate on spinning performance; Eating and drinking to entertain guests is called a woman's job. " However, for family needs, smart wives have always been praised, while "lazy" and "stupid" women are the objects of condemnation and ridicule. Lan Dingyuan also divided the order and purpose, saying, "Women workers should weave silkworms first and then feed them; Support, sacrifice-learn from each other's efforts ... "

In fact, women's contribution to women's work is not only an important guarantee for family continuity, but also an important source of national tax revenue in past dynasties. In ancient times, there was an idiom that "women don't farm the world for hunger, and women don't weave the world for cold". Ban Gu pointed out in Hanshu Shihuozhi that women work at night, which is equivalent to 45 working days per month, which is harder than men. With regard to "three obedience and four virtues", we should first see that these requirements and norms for women came into being in a specific era, out of a certain need, and also changed with the changes of society. After the establishment of patriarchal marriage and family in the Zhou Dynasty and the clear boundaries between men and women, there appeared a moral code of "three obedience" that required women to obey their fathers, husbands and children, that is, the female role in the family was subordinate to men. The "four virtues" are the etiquette, manners and operational skills that women must have to practice the moral goal of "three obedience". Under the influence of Confucian culture, the interaction of "three obedience" morality, the promotion and cultivation of "four virtues" and the intimidation and punishment of "seven out" rules gradually disciplined the virtues of traditional women.

With the passage of time, the male control over women gradually gave way to the husband's power, and the interests of the husband's family were higher than those of the father's family, with more emphasis on silence and sacrifice for women, more detailed rules and regulations, and more costs paid for women. However, we should also see that under the overall cultural framework of Confucianism, "three obedience and four virtues" emphasize "obedience from the father" and also need to obey the mother; It is emphasized that as a husband, a wife is also "equal to her husband." Especially the promotion of "filial piety culture", the filial piety of sons to their mothers, especially widowed mothers, is unique in China. Confucian filial piety, under the concept of "housework is a woman's business", many men don't ask about housework and say that they love their mothers, but they have never done anything for them; Coupled with the concept of "making a living by a husband", when she got married, she automatically acquiesced that her wife was the labor force in her family of origin, so she thought that she had the responsibility to continue to enjoy the fruits of her mother's labor, and her daughter-in-law had the responsibility to compensate her mother for her hard work. As for the "four virtues", we should pay attention to women's moral appearance and rhetoric accomplishment, if we can change them into new era content today (for example, "virtue" focuses on civilized manners, "speech" and "merit" focuses on the cultivation of talents and creativity, and "tolerance" focuses on proper decoration without deliberate makeup and beauty, etc.). ), it is also of great reference significance.

Gender privilege in the old society is the embodiment of traditional dross. Many requirements for women's "virtue" lie in the double standards that only women are required, not men themselves.