As we all know, at the beginning of the founding of the Western Zhou Dynasty, Duke Zhou's rites and music laid the foundation of China's traditional culture. This system was established with morality as the core, which was praised by later generations, thus establishing the dominant position of morality in the concept of governing the country and having a far-reaching impact on the development direction of China's history. During the Spring and Autumn Period, due to various reasons, this system collapsed and the world was in chaos, which was called "the ceremony collapsed and the music was bad" in history. Nobles fought for power and interests, so there has been a saying since ancient times that "the Spring and Autumn War is meaningless". Confucius yearned for the ceremony of the Duke of Zhou, which was not only his dissatisfaction with the troubled times in the Spring and Autumn Period, but also his yearning for the moral etiquette system in the Western Zhou Dynasty. This is normal and there is nothing to criticize. If Confucius takes the opposite attitude, praising the troubled times in the Spring and Autumn Period and saying that it confuses the enemy, it would be a bit inconceivable. Rites embody the rule of virtue and benevolent governance. Duke Zhou first put forward the idea of "ruling the country by virtue", and Confucius put forward the idea of "benevolence", which is of great significance in the history of thought. However, virtue and benevolence are very abstract concepts, intangible/colorless/silent/tasteless, and even feel illusory for people with low knowledge. Ceremony is a system or behavior that embodies virtue and kindness. There was a dispute between Confucianism and Legalism in pre-Qin history, and the focus of the debate was the rule of courtesy or the rule of law. Legalists believe that the implementation of government decrees depends on the law, and those who disobey orders will be punished, so that ordinary people will not dare to make trouble. Confucianism, on the other hand, advocates giving priority to moral education and standardizing and sorting out people's behavior through etiquette. When Confucius commented on these two ways of governing the country, he said a very famous sentence: "The way is politics, and the punishment is punishment, and the people are free from shame; Tao is virtue, courtesy, shame and dignity. " He believes that the result of "ruling the country by politics and punishing it by punishment" is "the people are shameless", because ordinary people do not break the law because they are afraid of punishment, and he has no shame. However, if etiquette is used to ensure the realization of moral goals, the result will be different. Because of the sense of shame, ordinary people will not only do bad things, but also be "qualified", that is, motivated.
Rites are concrete forms that embody virtue and kindness. No virtue and no benevolence, no ceremony. Confucius said, "If people are heartless, what is a gift? People are heartless, so what are you happy about? " ("Bashu") How can a person who has no love in his heart preach propriety and joy? In other words, the person who performs the ceremony should first be a kind and caring person. It can be seen that propriety and benevolence are interdependent and complementary. Ceremony is a means to cultivate one's self-cultivation. In human society, if anyone can indulge his behavior, then there is no distinction between man and beast, and there is no minimum order and no way to maintain society. Therefore, Confucianism and Legalism, despite their different political views, both believe that human behavior needs to be restrained. The difference between the two sides lies in what binds people. Confucius advocated restraining himself with inner moral strength. He said: "A gentleman is knowledgeable in literature, and he can make a courtesy or be a husband." (Yongye) As a gentleman, on the one hand, we should "learn from others" and accumulate profound knowledge, and at the same time, we should "meet with courtesy" and restrain our words and deeds with courtesy, because courtesy is formulated according to moral principles. As long as these two aspects are well done, we will certainly "prosper", that is, we will not deviate from the Tao.
Human nature has inherent defects, and everyone's personality has weaknesses. Therefore, no matter what kind of personality people are, they can't reach the ideal state without the help of courtesy. For example, Confucius said, "courtesy and rudeness are tiring, caution and rudeness are embarrassing, courage and rudeness are chaotic, and straightness and rudeness are twisted." (Taber) It means that people who are respectful and have no manners will be in vain. People who are cautious and impolite will appear timid. People who are bold and rude will make trouble. People who are frank and rude will say hurtful things. In all fairness, these four personalities are not bad, but as long as they leave the polite guidance, they will not bear "positive results."
There are many similar meanings. For example, in Xianwen, Lutz asked Confucius what kind of talents were "adults" (perfect people). In his reply, Confucius mentioned three Lu doctors, Zang Wuzhong, Gong Chuo, Bian Zhuangzi and his student Ran Qiu. Zang Wuzhong's wisdom, generosity of selfless desire, Bian Zhuangzi's courage and Ran Qiu's knowledge are all the best. Confucius said that to be a perfect person, it is not enough to combine the advantages of these four people, but also to combine music with the above four advantages perfectly. It can be seen that rites and music are the most important cultivation subjects.