礼观念形成的历史考察

学术界有一种流行的看法,认为古代礼观念出现于西周时期。但是,西周初年草创周代礼制,礼制到西周中期逐渐系统化,在此过程中,礼观念一直没有形成。礼观念形成是在春秋霸政时代,形成原因主要是贵族社会内部发生结构变化,诸侯国之间由宗法关系转向诸夏共同体关系,这一变化导致古代宗教信仰崩溃,以“礼”为中心的人文观念兴起。

Historical Research on the Formation of Ritual Concept

It was generally believed by the intellectuals that ancient ritual concept appeared during the Dynasty of West Zhou. However, at the beginning of the West Zhou, ritual system of Zhou Dynasty began to be established and was systematized in the middle of West Zhou but ritual concept was not formed at that time. It was during the hegemonistic Period of Spring and Autumn that ritual concept actually came into being when the social structure of the aristocrats changed and the patriarchal relationship changed to that of a community, which resulted in the collapse of ancient religious beliefs and thus the humanism focusing on "ritual" sprang up.