Feudal Clan System

The feudal clan system, originating from the Western Zhou (1046-771 B.C.) period, governed the succession of power to ensure that the monarch was to be succeeded by his eldest son and prevent disputes among royal family members and nobles over the succession of power. The system was highly and strictly structured based on blood ties with a clear distinction between superior and inferior ranks. It was bound by kinship ties and governed by a master-servant relationship, which ensured the political monopoly and privileged position of the aristocracy, as well as the stability and unity of the ruling elite.

In terms of any positive effect of the feudal clan system on Chinese culture, we may highlight its emphasis on the importance of family and the development of family ethics. Under the influence of this system, Chinese families strengthened family cohesion by building ancestral shrines, developing genealogies, and exercising family authority, giving rise to a rich tradition of ancestor worship, which became an important feature of traditional Chinese culture.

宗法制

宗法制是產生于西周時期的一種權力繼承制度，旨在將君位的傳承用嫡長子繼承制的形式確定下來，防止貴族之間因為權力繼承問題發生紛爭。宗法制等級森嚴，尊卑有序， 以血緣關系為紐帶，以君臣關系為綱紀，保證了貴族在政治上的壟斷和特權地位，維護貴族統治集團內部的穩定和團結。

宗法制的積極作用是造成中華文化重視家庭建設，強調家庭倫理，形成了家庭強大的凝聚力。在宗法制影響之下， 中國的宗族主要以家族方式體現，祠堂、家譜、族權的制度建設與之配套，形成濃厚的祖先崇拜傳統，成為中國傳統文化心理的一個重要特征。