摘要
The rule of rites was the fundamental pattern of the governance in the Xia,Shang and Zhou dynasties(i.e.the Three Dynasties).As a complex system of political and cultural practices with political,religious and moral attributes,rites legitimately and structurally underpinned the royal regime,therefore ensuring regime stability,integrating social relations,and enhancing recognition of cultural and political identities.Ritual traditions of the Three Dynasties went beyond extrinsic rites and institutions to include intrinsic spiritual traditions,e.g.divinity of the Heaven,conformity with ancestral heritage,and derivative moral values such as the pursuit of ethics and rewards for benevolence.Also included were the sense of blood relationships,the sense of clanship,the sense of ethics and the sense of filial piety and fraternal duty based on ancestral worship.Through the enlightenment of ritual music,the sense of rites was internalized as the collective value and cultural identity of the members of a society.Therefore,early nations that were founded upon rites functioned as a community of politics,culture and morality.Rites,having been internalized as cultural elements of the Chinese people,shaped the ways of thinking and behavior.It is fair to say that rites have served as the fundamental bedrock for the continuity of the Chinese civilization.
The rule of rites was the fundamental pattern of the governance in the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties(i.e. the Three Dynasties). As a complex system of political and cultural practices with political, religious and moral attributes, rites legitimately and structurally underpinned the royal regime, therefore ensuring regime stability, integrating social relations, and enhancing recognition of cultural and political identities. Ritual traditions of the Three Dynasties went beyond extrinsic rites and institutions to include intrinsic spiritual traditions, e.g. divinity of the Heaven, conformity with ancestral heritage, and derivative moral values such as the pursuit of ethics and rewards for benevolence. Also included were the sense of blood relationships, the sense of clanship, the sense of ethics and the sense of filial piety and fraternal duty based on ancestral worship. Through the enlightenment of ritual music, the sense of rites was internalized as the collective value and cultural identity of the members of a society. Therefore, early nations that were founded upon rites functioned as a community of politics, culture and morality. Rites, having been internalized as cultural elements of the Chinese people, shaped the ways of thinking and behavior. It is fair to say that rites have served as the fundamental bedrock for the continuity of the Chinese civilization.
基金
a phased outcome of a project of the National Social Science Fund of China(14ZDB009)concerning restoration of the Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial and reconstruction of contemporary daily rites and etiquette
