Definition

Noun: - The Three Obediences: A Confucian doctrine prescribing a woman's subordination throughout her life: obedience to her father before marriage, obedience to her husband after marriage, and obedience to her eldest son if widowed. - A feudal ethical code: Represents the traditional, now largely obsolete, social principle that defined a woman's virtue by her lifelong dependence on and submission to male authority figures.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Giáo lý "tam tòng" là một phần của hệ tư tưởng Nho giáo. (The "Three Obediences" doctrine was part of Confucian ideology.)
  • Xã hội phong kiến trói buộc người phụ nữ bằng đạo "tam tòng". (Feudal society bound women with the principle of the "Three Obediences.")

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in historical, sociological, or feminist discourse to critique traditional patriarchal structures.
• It is often discussed in contrast with modern values of gender equality.

Variants and Related Words

• Tứ đức (n): The Four Virtues (công, dung, ngôn, hạnh) – another set of traditional Confucian female virtues often mentioned alongside "tam tòng."
  • "Tam tòng, tứ đức" từng được coi là khuôn vàng thước ngọc cho người phụ nữ. ("The Three Obediences and Four Virtues" were once considered the perfect standards for women.)

Synonyms

• The Three Submissions
• The Threefold Obedience
• Feudal female code of conduct

Related Concepts

• Nho giáo / Khổng giáo (n): Confucianism – the philosophical system from which this concept originated.
• Trọng nam khinh nữ (idiom): Favoring males and belittling females; son preference – the underlying gender bias of the "tam tòng" doctrine.

noun

1. three follow's