从《礼记》看儒家对礼的合理性论证

Confucian Arguments for the Rationality of the Ritual in the Book of Rites

春秋战国之际的礼崩乐坏,让礼的合理性陷入危机。以孔子为代表的儒家学者尝试从多个角度对礼的合理性作出说明。他们既看到天道的"有别"和"有序",以此作为礼的形上依据;也诉诸人的内在情感,从主体中寻找服从礼的内在动力甚至内在的规范性;更从"治事"的效用中寻求礼的普遍之"理"。作为阐述礼义的重要著作,《礼记》中相关内容正全面展现了这一时期"礼"的合理化进程。以此考察儒家对"礼"的合理性论证,无疑有特殊的意义。

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period,the rites and music collapsed,which led to the crisis of the rationality of rites.Confucian scholars,including Confucius,tried to explain the rationality of the ritual from multiple angles.They not only see the"difference"and"order"of the Dao of Heaven as the metaphysical basis of the ritual,but also resort to the inner emotions of people to find the inner motivation and even the normativity of obedience from the subject,and even seek the universal"reason"of the ritual from the effect of"handling affairs".As an important work on the meaning of the ritual,the related texts in the Book of Rites demonstrate well the rationalization of the ritual during this period.It is undoubtedly of special significance to examine the Confucian argument for the rationality of rituals in this way.