忠ちゅう孝こう仁じん義ぎ

noun

loyalty, filial piety, humanity, and justice

A set of four Confucian virtues often listed together in traditional moral discourse. The term is somewhat formal and literary, used mainly in discussions of ethics, history, or classical thought.

• 武ぶ士しの心こころ得えとして忠ちゅう孝こう仁じん義ぎが重おもんじられた。

  Loyalty, filial piety, humanity, and justice were valued as the principles of the samurai.

• この物もの語がたりは忠ちゅう孝こう仁じん義ぎをテーマにしている。

  This story has loyalty, filial piety, humanity, and justice as its theme.