Title

The Pre-Qin Idea of Virtue and the Successful Development of the Rites

Author

Lin Su-chuan

Genre

Article

Pages

433-471

Download

PDF

Language

Chinese

Key words

Heaven, virtue, rites, image, nature, Confucians

Abstract

　　This study explores the historical evolution and rich significance of the concept of virtue (de 德) prior to the Qin dynasty. It begins with an analysis of ancient literature, which reveals that virtue originated as a belief related to emperors and clan kinship, and that it only later came to be associated with Heaven. The crystallization of the concept of virtue is displayed in rites and music, where this previously symbolic idea became transformed into a practical norm. The article next examines the nature and significance of virtue and ritual by investigating how the sages experienced the virtue of Heaven and Earth and created rites and music through their observation of nature. In addition, the article investigates how the sages learned about the “rhythm” of Heaven and Earth, how they expressed this rhythm in the form of music, and how they used music to interpret the virtue of Heaven and Earth. Finally, the article analyzes how virtue continued to evolve and change in Confucian philosophy, and how the understanding of the virtue of Heaven and Earth shifted from the exploration of the laws of the world to being incorporated into people’s daily affairs, ultimately becoming a revered ideal.