What is “filial piety,” and why is it so important in confucius’s understanding of a good society?

Filial Piety represents the virtue that parent and children should have. It is extended to cover kings and their subjects, bosses and employees etc. It is the behavioral standard between elders and youngers. Essentially it is the Elders should love the youners and the youngers should repsect their elders. Most people, including many Chineses, Koreans and Japanese, have distorted it and emphasize only on the youngers must always respect and obey their elders. This is not so. The elders (such as parents and bosses and even kings) have the responsibility of caring for their youngers. Children must obey parents. However, when children have grown up to be adult and mature men and women, then they have the responsibility of making sure their parents do not make mistakes and suffer for their mistakes. Adults have the responsibility of caring, but not fool heartedly obey, their parents.