The Book of Rites
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Summary
Editor's review
As a work of thought and culture, the value of the Ritual Records far exceeds ritual norms themselves. The chapters "Great Learning" and "Doctrine of the Mean" were later extracted by Zhu Xi and, together with the Analects and Mencius, formed the "Four Books," the core texts of Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism. The ideal of "Great Harmony" depicted in the "Evolution of Rites" chapter profoundly influenced Chinese political thought; the "Record of Learning" is the earliest document in world educational history to systematically discuss teaching theory.
Reading the Ritual Records requires understanding its historical context: it was born after the collapse of the Zhou ritual and music order, as the Confucian intellectual effort to rebuild social order. Its detailed records of sacrifices, weddings, funerals, and court audiences are in fact explorations of human relations, social norms, and political philosophy. Today's readers need not cling to specific rituals but should attend to the ethical concepts and cultural spirit behind them.
This Zhonghua Book Company edition retains the traditional commentaries and is suited to readers who wish to study the text in depth. The meaning of "ritual" in the book is rich: it is at once a code of conduct, an expression of feeling, and a cultural mechanism sustaining social harmony. Amid today's social transformation, rereading the Ritual Records' reflections on personal cultivation, family ethics, and social interaction still offers insight into building an ordered yet humane social life.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in ancient Chinese thought and culture, especially Confucian ethics
- Researchers in history, sociology, anthropology, and related fields
- Thoughtful readers seeking to understand the modern relevance of traditional ritual culture
- Enthusiasts with some classical Chinese reading ability willing to engage deeply with the classics
Not a good fit for
- Readers who want only narrative content or a light reading experience
- Beginners entirely unfamiliar with classical Chinese and unwilling to consult annotations
Reading tips
- Begin with the more intellectually substantial chapters such as "Evolution of Rites," "Record of Learning," and "Doctrine of the Mean," then move on to the sections on specific rituals
- Use modern annotated translations such as Yang Tianyu's Liji Yizhu as an aid
- While reading, distinguish the historical forms of ritual institutions from the universal ethical principles they embody
About the publisher
Zhonghua Book Company is a publisher known for collating ancient texts and academic publishing, with its output centered on Eastern philosophy, culture, classic works, art, and historical reading. Its library contains 532 titles, including Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, Guo Qingfan's Collected Commentaries on Zhuangzi, the four-volume Chinese Literature: Four Great Classical Novels, and the two-volume Table of Seal and Clerical Script Forms from Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin. These titles span historical classics, commentaries on the philosophers, classical novels, and philological reference works. Representative authors include Chen Shou, Guo Qingfan, Wu Cheng'en, Shi Nai'an, Cao Xueqin, Luo Guanzhong, Xu Wenwu, and the Hanyu Dazidian character-form group, reflecting a focus on primary sources and scholarly editors. Its publishing character lies in combining authoritative editions and annotated texts with both accessible classics and specialized research. Public information on its fuller catalog is limited; this note describes only the directions evident in the library's holdings.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 前言
- 上册
- 曲礼上第一
- 曲礼下第二
- 檀弓上第三
- 檀弓下第四
- 王制第五
- 月令第六
- 曾子问第七
- 文王世子第八
- 礼运第九
- 礼器第十
- 郊特牲第十一
- 内则第十二
- 玉藻第十三
- 明堂位第十四
- 下册
- 丧服小记第十五
- 大传第十六
- 少仪第十七
- 学记第十八
- 乐记第十九
- 杂记上第二十
- 杂记下第二十一
- 丧大记第二十二
- 祭法第二十三
- 祭义第二十四
- 祭统第二十五
- 经解第二十六
- 哀公问第二十七
- 仲尼燕居第二十八
- 孔子闲居第二十九
- 坊记第三十
- 中庸第三十一
- 表记第三十二
- 缁衣第三十三
- 奔丧第三十四
- 问丧第三十五
- 服问第三十六
- 间传第三十七
- 三年问第三十八
- 深衣第三十九
- 投壶第四十
- 儒行第四十一
- 大学第四十二
- 冠义第四十三
- 昏义第四十四
- 乡饮酒义第四十五
- 射义第四十六
- 燕义第四十七
- 聘义第四十八
- 丧服四制第四十九
FAQ
How does the Ritual Records differ from the Rites of Zhou and the Etiquette and Ceremonials?
Which edition should beginners choose?
Does the Ritual Records still have value for modern readers?
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About the author
Hu Pingsheng is a scholar-author in the field of Chinese classical text editing and traditional Chinese culture studies. Public information about him is limited, and details such as his education, nationality, and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded. Judging from the three works included in the library, his writing focuses on the compilation and interpretation of Confucian classics, especially the Book of Rites and the Classic of Filial Piety, and also touches on the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean. His works mostly appear in popular series such as the Chinese Classics Palm-Size Library and are commonly classified under Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation. His editorial style emphasizes accurate presentation of the original texts and concise, readable annotations, balancing scholarly standards with the needs of general readers and making it easier for ordinary readers to approach the original character of pre-Qin ritual studies and filial piety thought. These readers have had a certain influence in popularizing traditional culture and are suitable as introductory references for studying Confucian classics.
Zhang Meng is an author about whom little public information is available; her nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot be confirmed. Judging from the fifteen works included in the database, her writing spans a remarkably wide range of fields, including management, politics, finance and economics, software learning, Eastern philosophy, and inspirational personal growth. Her representative works include academically oriented titles such as Flowing Forests: A History of the Qing Dynasty Market Economy and Beyond the Great Divergence: The Politics of Economic Change in China and Europe, as well as practical management and finance books such as Understanding Financial Statements at a Glance and Best Management Practices for Human Resources Control in Leading Enterprises. She has also written a guide on using large language models to improve work efficiency for legal professionals, a work related to the Book of Rites, and a book on overcoming the fear of public speaking. Overall, her writing combines knowledge popularization with practical methods and addresses both general readers and practitioners.
