The Suasive Potential Of Rituals

By Author: Water Henry
Total Articles: 73
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Regarding persuasion, Confucius valued the suasive potential of rites and encouraged his students to study rites of previous dynasties. Rites (WL If) are a complex of social codes that signify what society values most. They embody the total spectrum of social norms, customs, and mores, covering increasingly complicated relationships and institutions. The appropriate acts prescribed by the rites not only regulate ceremonial occasions, but also govern daily human interactions. As I argued previously, by performing or Ed Hardy Clothing participating in the rituals, one would become identified with the community values and would be persuaded automatically ("The Way"). Confucius sees the performance of rites as a social indicator of the Way, or the natural and harmonious way that the universe operates in the Chinese ideal. When Confucius talks about ritual, he hopes to use it as a means to restore peace and integrity to the disintegrated Zhou society.

When Confucian debaters evoked the suasive potential of ritual, they gave it more power than Confucius did. They believed that ritual ...
... symbols would work not only with the Han people, but also with people beyond the empire. It was a means to befriend, if not to conquer, the enemies. When dealing with neighboring countries, particularly with Xiongnu, Daifu led officials believed that only strong military actions would contain them. Only after a strong military presence was established along the borders would the Xiongnu troops be deterred and the Han people be protected. In contrast, the Confucian debaters insisted on treating the Xiongnu with humanity and ritual. Wenxue argued, "The Book of Songs says that 'When one presents me with peaches as a gift, I will return him with pears.' I never heard that one who treats others with kindness will be rewarded with evil. Thus a gentleman, instead of offending them, should respect the others following the ritual. People all over the world are brothers. If we ED Hardy Hoodies can examine ourselves reflectively and candidly, what do we need to worry about". As Confucius once admonished his disciples, according to the Analects, to be a gentleman and an ideal ruler, one has to cultivate himself and his own people first through culture and morality. Wenxue believed that the suasive power of ritual performance, being part of culture and morality, would positively affect any human being.

The officials and the Confucian debaters were fundamentally divided by their differing convictions about non-Han people. As the above quotation reveals, the Confucian debaters held a familial, egalitarian, empathetic view toward the other by calling them brothers. Therefore, they were confident that the power of ritual could transcend ethnic differences and transform even their enemies. In contrast, Daifu harbored an ethnocentric view toward non-Han people. He clearly showed his chauvinism in the way that he described the Xiongnu people: he portrayed them as irrational animals. For example, in response to Wenxue's proposal of treating Xiongnu with respect following the ritual, Daifu contended that this approach would not work: "During the spring and autumn period, the six warring states formed an alliance by the rulers exchanging their hats and belts. However, they reneged on the agreement. How can you expect a country of animals to follow through a truce?