明初“五礼”体系的重建与唐宋以来的礼制趋向

The Trend of Ritual System since Tang-Song and Rehabilitation of Five-Rite System in Early Ming

因元代礼制不堪袭用,明初亟须创设一代礼制。开国仅三年,明朝就修成《大明集礼》,这标志着明初"五礼"体系重建的完成,也奠定了明代礼制的基本格局。明初"五礼"体系的重建所依托的礼制实践基础并不充分,但在稽古议礼的过程中秉持繁简适中、适礼之宜、务为可行的标准,并持有独特的礼制见解与价值取向,使其在绍续周汉唐宋"礼统"的基础上,呈现出新的礼制趋向:礼仪趋于简化,但礼体愈益尊崇,帝王之礼借助王国典礼与宾礼进一步扩张,官民之礼却相应收缩,内外朝礼仪正式分立,男女之防严密化。这些新趋向不仅在之后得到延续,成为中国礼制史上的重要转折点,而且与帝制晚期中央集权加强,皇权独尊的历史大势相适应。

The five-rite system was reinstated in the wake of the founding of Ming.Guided by its own idea and value,Ming simplified classical rites since the remote antiquity and turned them into the base of the Ming- style ritual system.Generally,the Ming rites were simple;but at the same time,they successfully had the dignity of emperor significantly magnified and applied the more stringent moral codes to entire country. Therein lay a turn of the history of Chinese rites.Ritual changes taking place in Ming were in harmony with the political trend wherein the imperial power grew increasingly all-embracing.