Preliminary Study On The Early Concept Of Chastity

As a special form of ceremony, the idea of chastity has a especial significance and makes a notable impact on Chinese traditional society. Because the idea of chastity alienated from its original features and became a kind ol so called "swallowing people" religion of ceremony after the Song and Ming dynasty, modern Chinese people deeply misunderstand the traditional idea of chastity . In order to clear up the original features of trditional idea of chastity, this thesis gives some meaningful exploration on the idea of chastity in Chinese early society.Historically? the idea of chastity in Chinese early society emerged from the continence of relations between male and female. The progression of relation between male and female is also a history in which the ralation became more and more continent and civil. Just from the rational reflection on sexual continence, the first idea of chastity emerged. And the sexu;il continence came ture by placing man and woman in the right order. Properly placing man and woman and sexual continenting distinguished man from animal, and therefore manifested the dignity of man. All these are the primal meanings of the idea of chastity in Chinese early society. Because of the general factors and the particular factors, those who carried out the idea of chastity in Chinese early society were women. Women in Chines early society observed various requests of chastity, and took on the important tasks of properly placing man and woman and sexual continenting.Though as sexual continenting, the idea of chastity in Chinese earlysociety contains some more moral senses. In other words, it is not only a virture of loyalty, but also a faithful moral integrity. The idea of chastity in Chinese early society casts women' s moral personality, and exalts their moral realm.