Lee (ritual)

Li ( Chinese trad. 禮 , ex. 礼 , pinyin : Lǐ ) is a key category of Chinese philosophy , especially Confucianism . The list of Russian translations of this concept includes such options as decency, etiquette, ethics, ritual, ceremonies . The main difficulty in defining this concept lies in the fact that Chinese philosophers invested in it not only the correct behavior (etiquette, ceremony), but also those world outlooks from which the correct behavior emanates. That is, it is not only respectfulness to elders, but also an understanding of the role that elders play in society, an understanding that respectfulness to elders is necessary. And already from this understanding inevitably follows the correct, respectful behavior. At the same time, there can be no departure from any speech - any of its carriers will be clearly aware that following these standards is not just necessary and necessary, it is also closest to human nature as such.

In the oldest literary monuments ( Shi Jing , Shu Jing ), this category denoted rites that make it possible to overcome political conflicts and reflect the unity of the world.

Confucianism regarded Lee’s ritual as a measure of government and self-improvement. Zuo Zhuan gives several formulations of this concept, and Lun Yu gives numerous examples of its use. By the definition of Xun Tzu , Li’s ritual was used to overcome lust.

The relevance of the concept of ritual in classical China was associated with an intellectual crisis caused by the decomposition of the historical structure of the Zhou era. The ritual of Lee played an important role in the passing era: he formalized relations within clans and between them, and also fixed the rules of behavior with guests and “barbarians” . As such, the ritual was ridiculed by Moists and Legists (the era of the Warring States ), who considered the ritual controls insufficient. The artificiality of the ritual also caused attacks from the Taoists - adherents of naturalness.

Three texts are recognized as classical sources for the practice of ritual: “ Zhou Li ,” “ Li Ji ,” “ And Li .”