The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music

Chapter Eleven: Multilayered Meanings of "The Imagery of Sound and Music": A Comprehensive Reflection

Section 1: "Imagery of Sound and Music" as Musical Aesthetics

From the perspective of musical aesthetics, the "Imagery of Sound and Music" is the earliest and most systematic description of pre-Qin musical qualities.

Its aesthetic value lies in:

First, pioneering the tradition of judging music by its character. Before this, commentary on music was limited to vague terms like "good" or "bad," "beautiful" or "licentious." Xunzi used precise quality terms—dà lì, tǒng shí, lián zhì, hé, fā měng, wēng bó, yì liáng, fù hǎo, qīng jìn, yì tiān dào jiān—to describe the unique character of each instrument, initiating the tradition of "appreciating quality" ($\text{pǐn yuè}$) in Chinese musical aesthetics.

Second, establishing a systematic classification of instrumental qualities. The qualities of the twelve instruments/activities form a complete spectrum moving from hard to soft, large to small, external to internal, and part to whole—the most systematic classification of instrumental qualities in the pre-Qin period.

Third, revealing the deep connection between music and nature. The correspondence between instrumental qualities and the cosmos is not arbitrary; it reveals a fundamental principle of musical aesthetics: musical beauty is rooted in natural beauty—the material of the instrument comes from nature, and the sonic quality is determined by the material; hence, musical beauty is rooted in the beauty of nature.

Section 2: "Imagery of Sound and Music" as Political Philosophy

From the perspective of political philosophy, the "Imagery of Sound and Music" is a miniature model of political order.

The drum is the "sovereign" of music—symbolizing the ruler. The bell is the foundation—symbolizing the ministers. The chime stone is the regulation—symbolizing the law. The wind instruments are the melody—symbolizing talent. The small instruments are the filling of detail—symbolizing the populace. Song is the sincerity of the human voice—symbolizing speech. Dance is the harmony of the whole—symbolizing peace under Heaven.

The entire ensemble is a microcosm of the ideal state: a sovereign (drum), wise ministers (bell and chime stone), talent (wind instruments), populace (small instruments), upright discourse (song), and ultimate peace (dance). When the ensemble plays harmoniously, the state is well-governed; when the ensemble is chaotic, the state suffers disorder.

This is the typical Confucian mode of "discussing politics through music"—using the analogy of musical harmony to explain political ideals. The brilliance of this analogy is that the harmony of music is directly perceptible to the listener, making the abstract ideal of political harmony tangible, understandable, and desirable.

Section 3: "Imagery of Sound and Music" as Cosmology

From a cosmological perspective, the "Imagery of Sound and Music" is a sonic diagram of the universe.

The correspondence: Heaven—Drum, Earth—Bell, Water—Chime Stone, Stars/Sun/Moon—Wind Instruments, Myriad Things—Small Instruments—forms a complete cosmological model. The core idea of this model is: The structure of the cosmos can be presented through sound and music.

This idea is not unique to Xunzi in the pre-Qin period. The system of trigrams in the Yijing, the correspondence system of the Five Phases, and the alignment of the Twelve Pitches with the Twelve Months are all based on the same cosmological presupposition: the structure of the cosmos is mirrored by certain symbolic systems (trigrams, Five Phases, pitches, acoustics). Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music" is the application of this cosmological tradition in the realm of music.

Section 4: "Imagery of Sound and Music" as Self-Cultivation Theory

From the perspective of self-cultivation theory, the section on dance offers a method for achieving moral cultivation through bodily training.

"Not seeing oneself, not hearing oneself"—transcending self-consciousness. "Regulating rising/falling, bending/stretching, advancing/retreating, slowing/hastening"—standardizing bodily actions. "None lacks clear regulation"—achieving perfect self-discipline. "Exhausting the strength of sinew and bone"—full-body commitment. "No contrariness"—achieving flawless coordination. "The multitude accumulates intent, profoundly harmonious!"—achieving collective tranquility and harmony.

These six stages form a complete path of self-cultivation: moving from transcending self-consciousness (mental level), to standardizing bodily action (physical level), to achieving self-discipline (character level), to full commitment (attitudinal level), to realizing group coordination (social level), to achieving a state of harmonious tranquility (ultimate attainment).

This path of cultivation is unique because it is body-centric—cultivation is achieved not just through reading and contemplation (though Xunzi valued learning) but through physical training and the practice of dance. The ordering of the body is the ordering of the heart—when the body achieves "clear regulation," the heart also reaches a state of "regulation."

This reflects the pre-Qin concept of the "unity of body and mind" ($\text{shēn xīn hé yī}$) in self-cultivation—cultivating the body is cultivating the mind, and cultivating the mind is cultivating the body. Sound and music—especially dance—provide the optimal means for cultivating both body and mind simultaneously.

Section 5: "Imagery of Sound and Music" as Epistemology

From an epistemological perspective, "The Imagery of Sound and Music" addresses a crucial question: How does one know the inaudible "intent" ($\text{yì}$)$31

"How is the intent of dance known$32" ($\text{hé yǐ zhī wǔ zhī yì}$)$33 Xunzi’s answer is through "observing imagery" ($\text{guān xiàng}$)—observing the dancer’s bodily movements ("imagery," $\text{xiàng}$) to grasp the deep meaning ("intent," $\text{yì}$) of the dance. This method of knowing is in direct lineage with the Yijing's tradition of "observing imagery"—grasping the invisible principle ($\text{lǐ}$) through visible imagery ($\text{xiàng}$).

However, Xunzi goes further: the highest form of knowing is not external "observing" but internal "experiencing"—"not seeing oneself, not hearing oneself" implies that the knower (the dancer) and the known object (the dance) merge into one. At this level, knowing is not "I observe the meaning of the dance," but "I am the meaning of the dance"—subject and object unify.

This state shares common ground with Zhuangzi’s "equality of things" ($\text{qí wù}$)—the dissolution of the subject-object separation to achieve a state of unity. The difference is that Xunzi believes this state is achieved through "Rites and Music training," whereas Zhuangzi believes it is achieved through "dialectical arguments of equality."

Section 6: Why Sound and Music Can "Move Deeply" and "Transform Quickly"

Sixth Question: Why is sound and music able to "move people deeply" and "transform people quickly" compared to other means of moral instruction (language, law)$34

Xunzi asserts that "the entry of sound and music into man is deep, and its transformation of man is fast." The basis for this assertion is:

Answer 1: Direct Affect on Emotion. Verbal instruction relies on rationality—one must first comprehend the meaning, then judge its validity, and finally decide to accept it. This involves "comprehension—judgment—decision," a process where resistance can arise at any step. Legal instruction relies on fear—people comply out of fear of punishment, but their hearts may not agree. Sound and music are different—they directly affect emotion, bypassing rational deliberation. Hearing a solemn drum, one does not need to "understand" or "judge"; reverence arises naturally. This is why it "enters deep" ($\text{rù rén yě shēn}$)—it penetrates directly to the core of emotion without rational mediation.

Answer 2: Collective Contagion. Instruction from one person to another is limited; the issuance of a law, though public, depends on specific enforcement. Sound and music can simultaneously affect hundreds or thousands. As Xunzi notes, "When music is performed in the ancestral temple, the ruler and ministers, the high and the low, listen together, and none is not harmonious and respectful." They "listen together" ($\text{tóng tīng zhī}$), being moved by the same emotion simultaneously. This collective power explains why music "transforms fast" ($\text{huà rén yě sù}$).

Answer 3: Engagement of All Senses. Speech primarily engages hearing (requiring interpretation); law primarily engages intellect. Music engages hearing (sound), sight (dance), kinesthesia (unconscious bodily rhythm), and even touch (feeling the vibration of the drum). Engagement across all senses grants music a pervasive influence beyond methods relying on a single sense.

The Record of Music states:

"Music is that which is an unchangeable aspect of feeling ($\text{qíng}$)."

The reason sound and music "feel deep and transform fast" is that they touch the most fundamental, unchangeable aspects of human emotion—the core that precedes rationality, judgment, and all cultural construction.

Section 7: Why Refute Mozi’s "Against Music" ($\text{fēi yuè}$)$35

Seventh Question: Why did Xunzi specifically refute Mozi’s "Against Music" doctrine in On Music$36 What exactly was wrong with Mozi’s argument$37

Mozi’s argument is found in Mozi: Against Music, Part One:

"Furthermore, when a benevolent man calculates for the world, he does not calculate based on what pleases the eyes, what pleases the ears, what pleases the mouth, or what pleases the body for comfort; he does not use resources gained by plundering the people’s clothing and food to achieve these ends. A benevolent man does not do this."

Mozi’s fundamental point is: Music consumes vast resources without increasing material wealth, thus it is morally unjustifiable.

Xunzi refutes this by stating:

"Now, music is enjoyment, an inevitability of human feeling. Therefore, man cannot be without music." (Xunzi, On Music)

The core of the refutation is: Music is a necessary human need; if forcibly abolished, human emotions will erupt in more harmful ways.

From the perspective of "The Imagery of Sound and Music," Mozi’s error is viewing music merely as material consumption while ignoring its "spiritual benefit" (cultivating the heart, coordinating society, connecting Heaven and Man). The qualities described—grand beauty, substantiality, regulation, harmony, fierceness, ampleness, goodness, femininity, purity, and encompassing the Dao—are all prerequisites for social harmony. Without the drum’s "grand beauty," society lacks sublime aspiration; without the bell’s "substantiality," society lacks solid foundation; without the chime stone’s "regulation," society lacks restraint. The social function of music far outweighs its material cost.

Xunzi further states:

"Therefore, music is the means by which the Dao is expressed. Metal, stone, silk, and bamboo are the means by which morality is realized. When music is practiced, the people turn toward the right path. Therefore, music is the greatest means of governing the people."

"Metal, stone, silk, and bamboo are the means by which morality is realized" ($\text{jīn shí sī zhú, suǒ yǐ dào dé yě}$). "When music is practiced, the people turn toward the right path" ($\text{yuè xíng ér mín xiāng fāng yǐ}$). "Music is the greatest means of governing the people" ($\text{yuè zhě, zhì rén zhī shèng zhě yě}$).

This elevates music from pure entertainment to the highest political tool. Mozi saw music as useless expenditure; Xunzi saw it as the essential instrument of governance—the difference lying in their perception of the "Imagery of Sound and Music"—its qualities and functions.