The Three Obediences and Four Virtues (; vi, Tam tòng, tứ đức) is a set of moral principles and social code of behavior for maiden and married women in

East Asian East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

, especially in

Ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

and

Imperial China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapt ...

. Women were to obey their fathers, husbands, and sons, and to be modest and moral in their actions and speech. Some imperial

eunuchs A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

both observed these principles themselves and enforced them in imperial harems, aristocratic

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...

s and society at large.

Terminology

The two terms ("three obediences" and "four virtues") first appeared in the

Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial The ''Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial'' is a Chinese classic text about Zhou dynasty social behavior and ceremonial ritual as it was practiced and understood during the Spring and Autumn period. The ''Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial'', alon ...

and in the

Rites of Zhou The ''Rites of Zhou'' (), originally known as "Officers of Zhou" () is a work on bureaucracy and organizational theory. It was renamed by Liu Xin to differentiate it from a chapter in the '' Book of History'' by the same name. To replace a lost ...

respectively, which codified the protocol for an elegant and refined culture for Chinese civilization. The protocol was originally meant to define the various parts of a harmonious society and not intended as a rule book. This code has heavily influenced ancient and imperial China and influenced other East Asian civilizations such as Japan and Korea as prescribed East Asian social philosophical thoughts even into the twentieth century.

Three Feminine Obediences

A woman is obligated not to act on her own initiatives and must submissively obey or follow: # her father at home, before getting married (; or ) # her husband after getting married (; or ) # her sons after her husband's death ()

Four Feminine Virtues

The Four Feminine Virtues are: # Feminine Conduct () # Feminine Speech () # Feminine Comportment () # Feminine Works ()

Ban Zhao Ban Zhao (; 45 or 49 – c. 117/120 CE), courtesy name Huiban (), was a Chinese historian, philosopher, and politician. She was the first known female Chinese historian and, along with Pamphile of Epidaurus, one of the first known female h ...

(49–120 CE), the first known female Chinese historian, elaborated on these in her treatise '' Lessons for Women'' ():quoted and translated in Pang-White, Ann A. (2018). ''The Confucian Four Books for Women: A New Translation of the Nü Sishu and the Commentary by Wang Xiang''. New York: Oxford University Press
p. 106-107
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References

Bibliography

* * {{Sexuality and gender in China Confucian ethics Filial piety East Asian philosophy Social philosophy Women in China

Terminology

Three Feminine Obediences

Four Feminine Virtues

See also

References

Bibliography