An Inquiry into the Core of Xunzi's 'On Rites': The Origin of Rites, Textual-Structural Logic, and the Way of Elevation and Reduction

Section 1 "Honoring the root is called culture (wen)": What is the Root, and What is Culture (Wen)$18

"Honoring the root (ben) is called culture (wen); embracing utility (yong) is called principle (li). When the two combine to form culture, they return to the Great Unity (Da Yi); this is called Great Flourishing (Da Long)."

This passage is exceedingly concise, with every character bearing immense weight. It discusses the internal structure of Rites—wen and li—and the highest state of their unification—Da Yi and Da Long.

First, let us examine "Honoring the root is called culture (wen)."

"Root" (Ben)—The fundamental basis, the origin. In the context of Rites, what is the "root"$19 Commentators have offered different interpretations. Considering the context, the "root" should refer to the spiritual essence of Rites, the internal basis of Rites. Specifically, the "root" can be understood on the following levels:

First Level: The Root of Emotion (Qing). The root of Rites lies in genuine human emotion. The root of mourning rites lies in sorrow; the root of sacrificial rites lies in reverence; the root of coming-of-age rites lies in the consciousness of adulthood; the root of marriage rites lies in the emotion between husband and wife. These genuine emotions are the fundamental basis that gives Rites meaning. Without genuine emotion, even the most exquisite ceremony is merely an empty shell.

Master Kong had profound insights into this:

"If a man lacks benevolence (ren), what use are Rites to him$20 If a man lacks benevolence, what use is Music to him$21" (Analects, Yong Ye)

If a person lacks inner "benevolence"—genuine emotion and moral consciousness—then what meaning do Rites and Music hold for him$22 This shows that the root of Rites lies in internal emotion and moral consciousness, not in external ceremonial forms.

In the Analects, Yang Huo chapter, Zai Wo questioned Confucius about the three-year mourning period:

Zai Wo asked, "A mourning period of three years is too long! If a gentleman refrains from Rites for three years, Rites will certainly break down; if he refrains from Music for three years, Music will certainly collapse. When the old grain has been consumed and the new grain has come up, when the fire drill has been changed—a year should be enough." The Master said, "Can you eat rice and wear silk and feel at ease$23" Zai Wo replied, "I can feel at ease." The Master said, "If you can feel at ease, then do it! When a gentleman observes mourning, he does not relish delicious food, does not enjoy music, and does not feel comfortable in his dwelling, which is why he does not do these things. Now, if you feel at ease, then do it!" When Zai Wo left, the Master said, "Zai Wo is not benevolent! He was nurtured for three years before being separated from his parents’ care. The three-year mourning period is universally observed. Did Zai Wo receive three years of loving care from his parents$24"

What criterion did Confucius use to judge whether the three-year mourning period should be shortened$25 Not the simplicity or complexity of the ceremony, nor economic calculation, but emotion—"Can you feel at ease$26" If one’s heart is uneasy, the period should not be shortened; if one’s heart is at ease, then do as you please. "Does not relish delicious food, does not enjoy music, does not feel comfortable in his dwelling"—this heartfelt sorrow while observing mourning is the "root" of mourning Rites.

Second Level: The Root of Righteous Principle (Yi). The root of Rites lies not only in emotion but also in righteous principle. Behind every ritual specification, there is a rationale, a principle. The root of sacrificial rites lies in the spirit of "repaying the source and returning to the beginning"—repaying the grace of Heaven, Earth, and ancestors. The root of mourning rites lies in the principle of "cautiously handling death and remembering the distant past"—treating the end of life with solemnity and remembering the departed. The root of coming-of-age and marriage rites lies in the principle of "maturing the individual and establishing the family"—defining the individual's social identity and family relations. These reasons and principles are the root of Ritual Principle (Li Zhi Yi Li Zhi Ben).

Li Ji: Ji Tong states:

"In governing people, nothing is more urgent than Rites. Rites have Five Constants, and none is more weighty than sacrifice. Sacrifice is not something that comes externally from things; it is born from the heart internally. The heart is moved and expresses it through Rites. Therefore, only the virtuous can fully realize the meaning of sacrifice."

"Not something that comes externally from things, but is born from the heart internally" (Fei wu zi wai zhi zhe ye, zi zhong chu sheng yu xin ye)—Sacrifice is not an external form imposed on man, but a natural outflow of internal emotion. "The heart is moved and expresses it through Rites" (Xin chu er feng zhi yi li)—When the heart is moved, it expresses it through Rites. This demonstrates that the "root" (internal emotion and principle) precedes the "culture" (external form).

Third Level: The Root of the Way of Heaven (Tian Dao). On a deeper level, "root" can also refer to the Way of Heaven—the fundamental law of the cosmos. Rites are reasonable not only because they respond to human emotion and embody principles of righteousness, but also because they conform to the Way of Heaven and Earth. Zuo Zhuan, Zhao Gong Twenty-Fifth Year quotes Master Zichan:

"Rites are the constant laws of Heaven, the righteousness of Earth, and the conduct of the people."

Rites are the warp and woof of Heaven, the righteousness of Earth, and the standard for human conduct. Their root lies in the Way of Heaven and Earth.

So, why is "honoring the root" called "culture" (wen)$27 Here, "culture" (wen) does not mean "embellishment" or "splendor" in the usual sense, but carries a deeper meaning.

In the pre-Qin context, "culture" (wen) has multiple meanings, including "literary grace," "texture," "civilization," and "pattern/code." In the Analects, Yong Ye chapter:

"When substance (zhi) overpowers culture (wen), the result is rustic. When culture (wen) overpowers substance (zhi), the result is affectedness (shi). When culture and substance are well-blended, that is the gentleman."

Here, "culture" (wen) is contrasted with "substance" (zhi), referring to external embellishment and expression. However, in the proposition "Honoring the root is called culture (wen)," the meaning of wen is different. It does not refer to external decoration but to "having culture to observe" (you wen ke guan)—when one truly upholds the root, their conduct naturally manifests grace, order, and aesthetic beauty.

This understanding is confirmed by the I Ching, Bi Gua (Adorning Hexagram), Tuan Zhuan:

"When strong and yielding intermingle, this is the pattern of Heaven (tian wen); when culture (wen) illuminates and thereby stops (zhi), this is human culture (ren wen). By observing the pattern of Heaven, one perceives the changes of time; by observing human culture, one transforms the world."

"Human culture" (ren wen)—human civilization—is the result of "illuminating and thereby stopping." "Stopping" (zhi) means having something to uphold—a point of firm adherence. When one has firm adherence ("honoring the root"), their conduct naturally presents itself as civilized and ordered—this is "culture" (wen). Therefore, "Honoring the root is called culture" means: True "culture" is not external decoration but internal adherence—when one truly honors the fundamental basis, "culture" naturally emerges.

This idea is profound. It subverts the common opposition between "culture" (wen) and "substance" (zhi), suggesting that true "culture" actually derives from honoring the "substance" (the "root"). The deepest root yields the most beautiful cultural expression. This aligns with Confucius’s ideal of "well-blended culture and substance" (wen zhi bin bin), but Xunzi goes further, pointing to the intrinsic unity between "culture" and "substance."