Humaneness Begins at Home

Master You (Youzi) offers one of the Analects' foundational claims: humaneness grows from family relationships. 孝 (xiào, filial piety) and 弟 (tì, respect for elders) are not add-ons to virtue but its root. If the root is healthy, everything above ground flourishes. If the root is neglected, no amount of external effort can compensate.