The Confucian Perspective on Friendship

The value of friendship is underscored in trauma studies, as friends play a crucial role in the initial stages of the healing process of trauma survivors. In this paper, I explore the value of friendship in the healing process, focusing on the psychological injury or suffering evident in the moral disruption and disconnection experienced by trauma survivors following their encounters with traumatic events, circumstances, or situations. Drawing mainly from the Analects, Mengzi, and Xunzi, I examine the Confucian perspective on friendship as a source for this exploration. My argument unfolds in three parts. First, a friend, acting as a teacher or mentor, can assist a friend facing moral disruption. Second, the xin (信) or trust between friends plays a crucial role in helping the trauma survivor feel reconnected. And third, I contend that reciprocity remains integral to the relationship, even in situations where the trauma survivor receives greater benefit

Art · Disconnection · Friendship · Moral injury · Perspective (graphical) · Sociology · Theology · Child Therapy and Development · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Philosophy · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Social Psychology

• Social media friendship and moral development

  Open Access•Mark Kevin S Cabural•Asian Philosophy•2025

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