An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi

Section 4: Etymology of "Jia" and Ancient Conceptions

Before formally delving into the hexagram images and statements, it is necessary to examine the character "Jia" ($\text{家}$) itself.

The archaic form of the character "Jia" is: $\text{宀}$ (the shape of a house) above $\text{豕}$ (the pig). This structure has generated prolonged academic discussion: Why does "house under pig" signify "family"$12

The most direct interpretation is that ancient people used the rearing of livestock (especially pigs) as a marker of settled life. Nomads follow water and grass, dwelling without fixed abode; they do not constitute a "family." Only those who settle down, build a house, and raise pigs possess a stable domestic life. The pig was one of the first domesticated animals in ancient China and one of the animals requiring the most fixed enclosure. Raising pigs implies settlement; settlement implies having a home.

Another interpretation relates to ancient sacrifices. The $\text{豕}$ (pig) was one of the most commonly used sacrificial victims in antiquity. Pigs were kept not only for daily consumption but also as offerings for seasonal ancestral sacrifices. A settled unit qualified to sacrifice to ancestors constituted a true "family." This aligns with the core function of the "family" in the Pre-Qin period—ancestral sacrifice.

The Li Ji, Qu Li Xia states:

"The Son of Heaven sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, to the Four Quarters, to the mountains and rivers, and to the Five Sacrifices, once a year. The feudal lords offer seasonal sacrifices to the mountains and rivers and to the Five Sacrifices, once a year. Great officials sacrifice to the Five Sacrifices once a year. Scholars ($\text{shì}$, 士) sacrifice to their ancestors."

Although this describes the sacrificial authority at different ranks, the practice extends from "Scholars sacrificing to their ancestors" downward; even commoner families have the duty of ancestor worship. One of the core functions of the family is to maintain a spiritual connection with the ancestors, and the sacrificial victim ($\text{豕}$, pig) served as the material medium for this connection.

A third interpretation warrants attention: In even more ancient times, the $\text{豕}$ under the $\text{宀}$ might not have been an ordinary domestic pig, but an animal possessing some totemistic or sacred significance. In ancient mythology and folklore, the pig was associated with the earth, fertility, and generative power. Keeping a sacred pig under the house symbolized that this family was connected to the Earth's fertile energy. Although this understanding is speculative, it aligns with the animistic worldview of ancient peoples.

Regardless of the interpretation adopted, the logic of the character's construction points to a core principle: The "family" is a human community supported by a material basis (dwelling, livestock) and centered around a spiritual bond (ancestral sacrifice, lineage continuation). It is not merely a physical space, but a space of meaning, an ethical space.

This understanding will permeate our entire analysis of the Jia Ren hexagram’s significance.