Interpretation丨 "etiquette" dominates ancient Chinese society

"Ritual" is the core value of the Confucian ideological system founded by the ancient Chinese educator and thinker Confucius. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius inherited and developed the ancient concept of "etiquette" by summarizing, cleaning up and reflecting on the cultural heritage of the Xia, Shang and Three Dynasties, giving it new ideological connotations, and creatively establishing a set of Confucian ideological systems with "etiquette" as the core value concept.

In the Confucian system of thought, "etiquette" not only contains the etiquette or rules for treating people and things in daily life, but also includes the systems and norms in various fields of ancient social life on the mainland, and even includes ideological concepts or moral rationality that are compatible with these systems and norms. "Ritual" is the core category of Confucianism, which has a wide range of extensions and rich connotations. In terms of its connotation, in Confucian thought, "etiquette" is both a social and political ideal and an ethical and moral norm. It maintains social stability and development through the guidance, restriction and regulation of people's thinking and behavior.

In a sense, it can be said that ancient Chinese culture is the culture of "etiquette", ancient Chinese politics is the politics of "etiquette", and the history of ancient Chinese social development is a history of "etiquette". In ancient China, the degree of development of "ritual" and its role in the whole national spirit and social politics had unique and significant cultural significance.

01

"Ritual" is the core of traditional Chinese culture

"Ritual" is not only the highest category of the Confucian system, but also the core content of traditional Chinese culture. In the Analects, Confucius repeatedly emphasized the importance of "etiquette" for a person to settle down in society. The Analects of Ji records that Confucius once taught his son Kong Li to say, "If you don't learn etiquette, you can't stand." The Analects of Yao Yue also records that Confucius admonished his disciples: "If you do not know etiquette, you cannot stand up." In Confucius's view, "etiquette" is the foundation of life in the world, and if you do not learn etiquette and do not know etiquette, it is difficult to settle down in the world. This shows the important position of "ritual" in Confucius's ideological system.

In the Confucian system of thought, "ritual" is both a socio-political ideal and a series of ethical principles and norms. Judging from the Six Confucian Classics taught by Confucius, all of them are permeated with a strong content of "ritual" learning. As Pi Xirui, a famous scribe of the Qing Dynasty, said in the "General Theory of Classics and the General Theory of the Three Rites": "The texts of the six classics are all rituals in them. The righteousness of the Six Classics is also particularly important to the liturgy. It should be noted that in Confucius's ideological system, "benevolence" and "etiquette" occupy a very important position.

However, judging from the Book of Rites written by Confucius's disciples or disciples, the status of the two is not consistent. On the one hand, "etiquette" seems to be higher than "benevolence", such as the "Li Ji Qu Li" Cloud: "Moral benevolence and righteousness, incivility can not be achieved." It can be seen from this that "etiquette" is not only the fundamental criterion for regulating all social relations, but even "benevolence" is based on "etiquette." On the other hand, in the view of pre-Qin Confucians, "ritual" is the norm and criterion of the relationship and order of all things between heaven and earth. For example, the Book of Rites and Music says, "The Liturgy, the Order of Heaven and Earth." This demonstrates the supremacy of "ritual" from a metaphysical perspective. That is to say, in Confucianism, "ritual" has a metaphysical ontological status like the Heavenly Dao.

Cheng Zhu Lixue of the Song Dynasty interpreted "rituals" with "reason", and even raised "rituals" to an important position equivalent to "Tianli". In the system of the science of the second journey (程颢 and 程颐), "reason" is the highest ontology, and "ritual" is connected with "reason". Cheng Haoyue: "Li Yi, Li Ye, Wen Ye." Reason, reality, ben. Writer, Hua Ye, Su Ye. (Henan Ercheng Testament, vol. 11) In Cheng Hao's view, the root of "etiquette" is "reason", and at the same time, "etiquette" is also the text of reason, that is, the embodiment of heavenly reason.

Zhu Xi inherited and developed the theoretical thought of the second course, taking reason as the highest philosophical category that unified all things in the world, and constructed a huge philosophical system. He believed that morality and morality in the world and etiquette, pleasure, politics, and punishment were all natural principles. He said, "Ritual is the natural principle of heaven and earth." When it comes to reasoning, the red tape is all in it. (Zhu Zi Yu Class, vol. 41) In Zhu Xi's system of science, etiquette is reason, and etiquette is reason. In this way, Zhu Xizhi's "ritual" naturally rose to the height of the cosmic ontology and rationalized, thus abstracting the Confucian moral value system represented by "ritual" as the natural reason, thus lifting and strengthening the dominant position of "ritual" in traditional Chinese culture.

02

"Etiquette" and ancient Chinese politics

The core content of the traditional culture accumulated by China's thousands of years of history is "etiquette", and ancient Chinese politics is basically a politics based on "etiquette". "Etiquette" is inextricably linked to ancient Chinese political ideas, political behaviors, and political systems.

The patriarchal system, the system of sub-fiefs, the system of obedience, the system of knighthood, the system of land, the system of tribute, the system of military and political affairs, the system of criminal law, the system of officials, and various other political systems of ancient mainland society all belonged to the category of "etiquette" in ancient times. Although various ceremonial systems have gained and changed with the development of society or the replacement of dynasties, they have always been the theoretical basis and value standard of various systems in the ancient society of the mainland for thousands of years, and have always been the ideal institutional model pursued by the ideology of the feudal dynasties of the mainland. Therefore, it can be said that the traditional culture and political system of the mainland are basically a "paradigm" of etiquette.

The ancient Chinese "ritual" culture is also closely related to the legal system. "Law (punishment)" is derived from "ritual" and is derived from "ritual", so the "Guan Zi Shu Yan" Yun: "The law is out of etiquette." "The rites are given coercive power and are the law." "Ritual" is a tool for social moral indoctrination, and "law" is a kind of punishment after the fact. As the Book of Rites says, "The one who performs the ritual is forbidden before the general, and the one who is forbidden after the present." "Both etiquette and law are norms of people's behavior, and etiquette relies on moral indoctrination to guide people not to be noble and inferior, and the law relies on coercive force to make people abide by the relevant norms of etiquette.

In the ancient Chinese model of state governance, etiquette and law were closely integrated, and played a regulatory and restraining role in social order. The system of etiquette plays an important role in indoctrination, while law and punishment play a role in restraining and punishing social disobedience within the framework of etiquette. Especially after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "deposed hundreds of families and respected Confucianism alone", successive dynasties basically adopted a political structure based on Confucian "ritual" culture as the basis for complementary rituals. Decorate the benevolence of politics with courtesy, and exaggerate the authority of politics with the law, so as to promote the effective operation of the state apparatus and maintain the stable and orderly development of society.

The Spring and Autumn Left Biography summarizes the function of "rites" in the eleventh year of the Hidden Duke: "Rituals, through the state, the fixed society, the order of the people, and the benefit of the heirs." In other words, "etiquette" is a discipline law used to govern the country, stabilize society, and enable the people to maintain stable social relations so as to protect the interests of future generations. The various canonical systems, political ideologies and administrative policies of the dynasties of the mainland are closely related to the "ritual" culture, and many rulers often invoke the ritual scriptures when they govern and govern, as the criterion and authoritative basis for their actions. Many rulers also often use "etiquette" as the basis for institutional construction or reform. For example, in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, Shusun Tong formulated the imperial ceremony; In the process of establishing the new dynasty, Wang Mang reformed various systems based on the Zhou Li; in the last years of the Western Wei Dynasty, Su Qi assisted the powerful minister Yuwen Tai to carry out official reform according to the Zhou Li; Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty also used the Zhou Li as the theoretical basis for his change of law. All of this reflects that the "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism is an important feature and keynote of ancient Chinese politics.

03

"Etiquette" and the spirit of the Chinese nation

The national spirit is an excellent historical tradition inherent in a national culture that embodies a certain value orientation and continues to develop, and is the group consciousness, style and characteristics of a nation that have been formed through long-term development in a certain historical background, geographical environment, cultural tradition and way of life and are recognized by the members of the nation. It is not only the spiritual pillar on which a nation depends for its survival and development, but also the identity of a nation standing among the nations of the world.

The "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism has played a key role in shaping and perfecting the spirit of the Chinese nation. Regarding the purpose or value orientation of "etiquette", Confucius said: "Etiquette is precious to harmony." (Li Ji Confucian Xing) And Confucius's disciple Youruo also believed: "The use of etiquette is precious." Confucius and his disciples highly summarized the fundamental spirit of "etiquette" with the so-called "harmony is precious." The value orientation of "Guihe" is to advocate the spirit of harmonious coexistence between man and nature, society and people.

Therefore, the ultimate goal of "etiquette" is to guide all levels of society and people with various different value demands to handle and coordinate the relationship between people, people and society, and people and nature in accordance with the norms and models of "etiquette", so that people can resolve or alleviate contradictions and live in a harmonious social family. The "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism not only emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between people, but also advocates the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, advocating the realization of the ideal realm of "the unity of heaven and man" and the realization of the ideal society of Datong. After a long period of historical accumulation, this concept has become an important essence of the Chinese national spirit.

For thousands of years, although the Chinese nation has experienced wars and divisions, it has generally been under the political pattern of "great unification", and the value orientation of "guihe" of Confucian liturgical music culture has played an important hidden role in it. The moral tradition of tolerance, courtesy, humility and kindness, and seeking common ground while reserving minor differences formed by the Chinese nation over thousands of years has formed the tone of the Chinese national spirit. The formation of this tone is also the result of the long-term influence and accumulation of the value orientation of "guihe" in the "etiquette" culture.

In the process of ancient social development on the mainland for thousands of years, with the development and change of social productive forces, economic relations and ideological culture, the traditional "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism has been constantly impacted and challenged, and it is inevitable that there will be "profits and losses" with the development of the times. However, in general, the "ritual" culture advocated by Confucianism is the theoretical basis and value standard of various ancient systems, and it is also the ideal institutional model pursued by successive generations. Not only that, but the "noble" value orientation of Confucian liturgical music culture has also played an important role in the formation and development of the Chinese national spirit and has become the cultural gene of the Chinese national spirit.

The value orientation of "Guihe", which is rooted in the spirit of the Chinese nation, is not only a precious cultural heritage, but also a common spiritual wealth of the human world. It has endured for a long time and still has important ideological and cultural values in today's world. Through creative transformation and innovative development, the value orientation of "Guihe" can not only become an ideological resource for the construction of socialist spiritual civilization and system construction on the mainland, but also has important historical and social significance for conforming to the trend of the times, safeguarding world peace, promoting the common development of all ethnic groups, and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

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