Final answer:
The dominance of filial piety as a cultural value in China is true and is deeply engrained in Confucian ethics, influencing familial relationships and societal morals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement filial piety (obedience to parents, respect for parents, honoring of ancestors) being a dominant cultural value in China is indeed true. Filial piety, deeply rooted in Confucian ethics, remains a central pillar in Chinese culture. Confucian philosophy holds that filial piety is a critical virtue, linking the well-being of the family with social stability and governance. This concept is reflected in historical texts, such as The Analects and The Classic of Filial Piety, where the expectation is not merely respect for one's parents but a broader deference to elders and those in superior positions.
Examples from history, like the Confucian scholar Xun Shuang and the case of his widowed daughter, illustrate how filial piety was upheld even to the point of extreme self-sacrifice. Moreover, stories about filial exemplars were widely spread to indoctrinate society with this value, and filial piety was connected to state utility, political office, and the broader morality of the scholar official class. The practice of rituals, such as sacrificial offerings to ancestors, was and is one means by which filial piety is cultivated and expressed in China.