Studies On Confucian Thought Of Rule By Ritual And Music

The rite and music originally came from ancients' religion sacrifice activites, afterwards integrated with people's living custom slowly. then affected and restrictsed people's behavior activities. finally became the norms of people's activities. The rite and music take the core concept of Chinese traditional culture. it'content is extremely broad. About the meaning of rite, it has such several: the rite is the highest natural law, the intrinsic essence of the human, the basic principle of governing the country and composing the people, the rite is the biggest law. In short, in ancient Chinese society, the rite was all-embracing, nearly was the Chinese traditional culture's synonym. rite has more deeper meaning except the meaning of pipe, chord, sang and singing. It is the tiptop level of personality cultural, the most effective educating tool, cardinal guides and constant virtues and clanlaw standard, therefore the Confucianist cultivates moral, manages a family, rules a nation and even the world by rite and music. The benevolence is another important concept in confucianism. Confucius' "adding the benvolence to rite" makes the rite with a deep sense of the inherent nature, the discovery of benevolence original is the result of going deep into the meaning of rite and music. The value of the rite and music was re-established just because of discovering the benvolence, Therefore, the relations of benvolence and the rite and music is that the benvolence is the inherent foundation; carrying out the benvolence is the rite and music; fulfiling according to the rite and music is the benvolence, the rite and music and the benvolence is supplement each other and just become a dialectical unity relations.The vassal Chou constituted the rite and music making the academic basic of confucian rule by rite and music. The vassal Chou processed and reconstructed the rite and music by "adding moral into the rite", let the rite come out abstractly from the primitive barter behaviors, then integrated in the moral category, which made the basic for re-establishing the value of the rite and music in Confucian "adding benvolence into the rite". Humanity theory is also the important rationale of confucian thought of rule by rite and music. Though Confucius hadn't said whether the human nature is goodness or evil, but he thought that people all have the moral attribute and also favor goodness. Therefore he thought that education may be executed. The content of confucian thought of rule by rite and music is "controling by music" and "controling by rite". "Controling by music" is in order to bring up people harmonious feelings. "Controling by rite" is to ask the people to observe each behavior standards. Music can humanize, therefore, Confucius teached people by playing good music. He asked everybody to study music, improve personality and culture. This method is "controling by music". Etiquette is the criterion of acts. "Controling by rite" is a dynamic sense of rite. It is a strategy of rulinging a country, which is using the ceremony and etiquette in living practice activities. "Controling by rite" asked the ruling class to control the country by rite, and everyone did everything by rite, regulated one's words and deeds to reach a condition where people achieve their positions and comply with the rite. "Controling by rite"is the way of the ruling class solidifies its internal order and governs its people more effectively. Rite and law are the two major trends in Chinese political and ideological history. Rite is law of controling the heart, therefore it must be super to the law. The rite and music are important in running a country. Confucius put them together, regarded as the main way of politics. "Controling by music" and "controling by rite" are difference in form and function, but they are supplementing each other, penetrating into each other, restricting each other, maintaining the feudal system together, and realizing Confucius way of politics. The aim of confucian thought of rule by ritual and music is bringing up man of honour who had highly cultural education and the magnificent moral also, moreover established an orderly and warm social system. To achieve this aim, Confucius thought that there are three steps: increasing the population, making people affluence and educating the people. In the ancient times of China, population had the extremely vital significance to the national society politics life, which was the precondition of engaging any active. Making people affluence was to let the common people become wealthy. People affluence was a symbol of a prosperous nation, and a important achievement criterion of examinating governor's moral culture.Educating the people is carrying out the rite and music education,educating people to be standard people which the ruler requests. Educating people is stress,it is the ultimate goal of confucian thought of rule by ritual and music.Confucian thought of rule by ritual and music is profound in Chinese history, it not only caused the rite and music to become a widespread and powerful social norm, formed a unique political rationality in Chinese ancient times, also caused the rite and music infiltrating to the folk, more important, it has cultivated Chinese peace loving . Confucius attached importance to the rite and music education. The rite and music embodied the thought differencees in harmony which also has important inspire meaning in the harmonious society's construction nowadays. Though thinking of Confucius also has feudatorial draff, but Confucian rite and music is sticked up for society harmonious. There are still many merits for us to study and use for reference.