I submit that 孝 is a very Chinese concept. (It is possible that other ethnic groups in other parts of the less developed World may have similar concept, but not in present day Western societies, hence the difficulties here)
Translating it to mean mere "respect", "devotion to family", "love", does not capture it completely.
The very strict "practice" of 孝, ("practice" because the only way that 孝 could be shown or understood is by the "actions" or "conduct" of the children vis-a-vis their parents), applies even if the children do not love or respect or devoted to their parents because, regardless, it is incumbent upon the children to:-
look after their parents in old age;
to wear for a number of years certain mourning insignia on their arms to mourn their dead parents; and of course a proper if not grand burial;
to accept without question the parent's choice of the children's spouses;
generally to defer to the views of the parents on most issues governing the household which in most parts are patriarchal;
...and other practices which are peculiar to certain dialect groups.
Thus 孝 is not just an abstract concept, it is the practice of well-defined courses of actions or strictly prescribed conduct which the children must perform, in most cases publicly, to show 孝.
If there is 孝 from children to parents, there will, by natural extension, be 孝 in society in general, and upwards towards the Emperor and from him to Heaven and there will, therefore, be peace and harmony in the Universe.
So, the ancient argument goes, if there is not even any 孝 in a nucleic family unit, how could there be peace and harmony anywhere?