圣王作乐与国家宗教

Emperor’s Music and the National Religion

"圣王作乐"是儒家音乐思想的核心观念之一,其起源可以追索到中国音乐思想的神话时代,后来发展为"治定制礼,功成作乐"的历史定制,成为历代帝王的政治实践,由此神话进入历史,历史被神化,其政治伦理指向国家认同,王朝政治合法性与是否遵循礼乐仪典的传统有密切关系。所谓"国家宗教",是指包含了国家信仰、天道崇拜、集体秩序和国家仪典的综合体,它强调社会等级秩序,为国家的存在提供终极价值依据,礼乐制度是其文化上的基本设计,音乐成为政治化国家宗教的重要组成部分。这部分地解释了"圣王作乐"的合理性,从这一角度来思考古代礼乐及其制度,是一个值得开掘的新领域。

Emperor making music is one of the core concepts of Confucian Musical Doctrine. It dates back to the ancient mythical time and later developed into a historical system, becoming a part of political practice by the emperors. Thereafter, myth was brought into history and history was mythicized, and the legitimacy of the dynasties was closely associated with whether following the traditional principles of music ceremony. The so called 'national religion' is a mixture of national faith, nature worship, collective order, and national ceremonies. It emphasizes social class order and provides the ultimate value basis for the existence of the country. The principles of music ceremony are the basic cultural element of the 'national religion.'