Traditional Ethics of Modesty and its Modern Transition

The ethics of modesty is one of the traditional Chinese ethics.The formation and development of the ethics of modesty were integrated into the development of Chinese virtue and the development of Chinese etiquette.It has experienced four phases: a heart of modesty and respect,the order of modesty and humility,the etiquette of modesty and comity,and the stature of modesty and harmony.In Chinese historical literatures,the ethics of modesty has four kinds of meanings.The traditional ethics of modesty has both positive value and negative value.Under the circumstance of modern society's market economy,the traditional ethics of modesty still possesses its value,but it requires a modern transition to give it a new connotation of respecting others while respecting oneself,comity and mutual benefit as well as humility and symbiosis.