The Punishments of Lü

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.2

Word count: 1.3K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

As early as the beginning of the Western Zhou, criminal law existed, divided into "light code," "medium code," and "heavy code," collectively called the "Three Codes," used to maintain rule and social stability. In the mid-Western Zhou, as class contradictions sharpened, King Mu of Zhou ordered Marquis Lü (also called Marquis Fu) to formulate the Lü Xing (Lü Penal Code), which had five punishments—mo (tattooing), yi (cutting off the nose), fei (cutting off the feet), gong (castration), and dapi (death)—totaling three thousand articles. The Book of Rites, Qu Li I, says: "Rites do not extend down to the common people; punishments do not extend up to the great officers." In the pre-Qin period, superior and inferior carried the sense of noble and base, and also that of heavy and light; thus the explanation should be "Rites do not demean the common people; punishments do not honor the great officers." Later ruling classes distorted this into exemption from punishment for the privileged class. The Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 4, Annals of Zhou, Part 4, also calls it the Fu Xing.

Editor's review

The Lü Xing is one of the longer and more institutionally dense chapters of the Book of Documents, recording the process by which King Mu of Zhou ordered Marquis Lü (Marquis Fu) to formulate criminal law. This Bashu Press edition presents this pre-Qin legal document as a standalone volume, making it convenient for readers to study it in a concentrated way. Its value lies not in literary quality but in legal history and intellectual history: the record of the five punishments—mo, yi, fei, gong, and dapi—and three thousand articles of law is an important text for understanding the Western Zhou penal system; the phrase "Rites do not extend down to the common people; punishments do not extend up to the great officers" should, according to the source material, be interpreted as "Rites do not demean the common people; punishments do not honor the great officers," rather than the later distortion into privileged exemption from punishment—this correction deserves particular attention. The framework of the "Three Codes"—light, medium, and heavy—also offers clues to the Western Zhou rulers' sense of proportion in applying punishment. When reading, it is advisable to read it alongside the Annals of Zhou in the Records of the Grand Historian and to note the alternative title Fu Xing. Suitable for students of pre-Qin history and legal history for close reading of the original text, and also for enthusiasts of traditional culture who wish to understand early conceptions of criminal law. Note that the text is archaic and obscure; beginners should use annotated editions and reference works.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of pre-Qin history and legal history who need to study the original text
Scholars and teachers researching Western Zhou institutions and the penal system
Readers interested in the text of the Book of Documents and traditional thought on criminal governance
Those who need to distinguish the original meaning of classic phrases such as "Rites do not extend down to the common people"

Not a good fit for

General readers hoping for storytelling, narrative history
Beginners without a foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotated reference works
Readers who merely want a quick overview of the general history of Chinese law

Reading tips

First read through the original text once, marking difficult words and phrases, then go through it sentence by sentence with the annotations.
Read it alongside the relevant passages of the Annals of Zhou in the Records of the Grand Historian, noting that the Lü Xing is also called the Fu Xing.
Focus on excerpting passages concerning the five punishments, the three thousand articles, and the "Three Codes," and make institutional note cards.
When reading "Rites do not extend down to the common people; punishments do not extend up to the great officers," take care to distinguish the original meaning from later distortions.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
周书·吕刑第二十九

FAQ

Are the Lü Xing and the Fu Xing the same chapter?

Yes, they are the same chapter. According to the source material, the Annals of Zhou in the Records of the Grand Historian calls it the Fu Xing because its formulator, Marquis Lü, was also called Marquis Fu; the titles differ but refer to the same thing. When reading, memorize the two names together, and try both when searching ancient-text indexes.

What is the original meaning of "Rites do not extend down to the common people; punishments do not extend up to the great officers"?

The source material indicates that in the pre-Qin period, superior and inferior carried the sense of noble and base, and also that of heavy and light; it should be interpreted as "Rites do not demean the common people; punishments do not honor the great officers," rather than the later distortion by ruling classes into exemption from punishment for the privileged class. Understanding this point is key to distinguishing later misreadings when reading the Lü Xing.

What are the "Three Codes" mentioned in the book?

According to the source material, criminal law existed as early as the beginning of the Western Zhou, divided into "light code," "medium code," and "heavy code," collectively called the "Three Codes," used to maintain rule and social stability. They are not three independent legal codes but three grades of severity in punishment, and can be examined together with the five punishments and three thousand articles recorded in the Lü Xing.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.