“礼仪之邦”:概念、历史和机制

"The Ceremonial State":Its Concept,History and Mechanism

中国人自古以来就把礼仪之有无视为自我文化认同的根本标识和华夷之辨的主要依据。宋明以降,中国越来越重视和强化礼仪,逐步走向一个礼仪化的国度。其表现和塑造机制有三:第一,"礼仪之邦"是域外视角观察中国所获得的真切印象,是中外文化比较的结论;第二,百姓日常生活越来越礼仪化,这是礼制下移的结果,是士大夫们通过庶民通礼、宗族祠堂、家礼家仪、乡规民约等途径合力塑造的结果;第三,民间日用礼书的广泛传播,民间礼生的传承和实践,推动了中国乡村社会的礼仪化。由是,中国成为一个名副其实的"礼仪之邦","礼仪之邦"的使用频率越来越高,而人们对于较早出现的"礼义之邦"一词反倒习焉不察。

Since ancient times,Chinese people have perceived of rituals and ceremonies as the fundamental characteristic of our own cultural identity and the main basis for the distinction between Chinese and non-Chinese.Since the Song and Ming dynasties,Chinese people have paid more and more attention to and intensified their use of rituals and ceremonies,gradually moving towards becoming a ritualized nation.There are three mechanisms that shape and give expression to this:First,"the ceremonial state"is the realistic impression of China from an outside perspective,which is the conclusion of a comparison between Chinese and foreign cultures;Secondly,people’s daily lives have become more and more ritualized,which is the result of the trickling down of the ritual system,and of the joint efforts of the intelligentsia through the shaping of common etiquette,clan ancestral shrines,family rituals and ceremonies,and local customs and regulations;Third,the widespread dissemination of popular etiquette books for daily use,the inheritance and practice of the function of master of ceremony,and the promotion of the ritualization of China’s rural society.As such,China has become a"ceremonial state"worthy of its name,with the usage of the term"ceremonial state"having become much more frequent and customary without being questioned.