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

Section 3: From Individual Dance to Group Harmony — The Social Philosophy of "Accumulating Intent" ($\text{jī yì}$)

"The multitude accumulates intent, profoundly harmonious!" ($\text{zhòng jī yì zhōng zhōng hū}$)!—The key to this sentence lies in the character "multitude" ($\text{zhòng}$). The significance of dance lies not only in the individual’s physical refinement but also in the collective coordination of the group.

Pre-Qin music and dance were never solitary activities but group endeavors. The Rites of Zhou, Office of Music: Grand Master, describes the scale of musical performances:

"When the King feasts formally, after the third offering of congratulations, the bells and drums are ordered to sound."

"Whenever the Six Melodies are performed, the first change summons the spirits of rivers and marshes; the second change summons the spirits of creeping things and forests... The sixth change involves the elephant images and the celestial spirits."

Grand musical performances required the coordination of numerous musicians and dancers. The "Yi Dance" ($\text{yì wǔ}$) in ancient times was organized in ranks of eight; the Son of Heaven used eight yi (sixty-four people), feudal lords six yi (thirty-six people), high officials four yi (sixteen people), and scholars two yi (four people). Dozens or hundreds of dancers moving simultaneously without "a single instance of contrariness" ($\text{mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$)—this required immense training and unspoken understanding!

"Accumulating intent" ($\text{jī yì}$): The intent accumulated here is not just the individual's intent but the shared spiritual state of the entire group. After long periods of collective training, the dancers form an ineffable synchronization—no verbal communication or visual cues are necessary; their bodies coordinate naturally. This is "accumulating intent" ($\text{jī yì}$)—the collective consensus reached through long accumulation.

"Profoundly Harmonious!" ($\text{zhōng zhōng hū}$)—This term describes a state of harmony that is measured and secure, rather than intensely agitated. This shows that the highest state of group harmony is not tense, forced uniformity but tranquil, spontaneous coordination—the multitude is not forcibly unified but harmoniously aligned.

This description profoundly reflects Xunzi’s social ideal. The ideal society is not a rigidly controlled collective (like the Legalist ideal) but a naturally harmonious group—where every member, having internalized social norms through the cultivation of Rites and Music ($\text{huà xìng qǐ wěi}$), acts in spontaneous coordination with others, without external coercion. "The multitude accumulates intent, profoundly harmonious!" is the microcosm of this ideal society.

Xunzi: On Wealth ($\text{Fù Guó}$) states:

"All things share the same space but have different bodies; they have different uses that are suitable for human needs, this is the result of number ($\text{shù}$). Human relationships coexist, seeking the same goals but following different paths, desiring the same things but having different knowledge—this is due to birth ($\text{shēng}$). All have some acceptable aspect, yet what they accept differs; this is where the distinction between the wise and the foolish lies. ... Therefore, the former kings established Rites and Righteousness ($\text{lǐ yì}$) to differentiate them, establishing ranks of rich and poor, noble and base, such that they could mutually oversee one another—this is the foundation for nurturing the world."

"Human relationships coexist" ($\text{rén lún bìng chù}$)—people live together. "Seeking the same goals but following different paths" ($\text{tóng qiú ér yì dào}$); the former kings established Rites and Righteousness to "differentiate" ($\text{fēn}$) them—establishing the rank and role of each person. This "differentiation" ($\text{fēn}$) is "governance" ($\text{zhì}$)—turning chaos into order.

The "profound harmony" ($\text{zhōng zhōng hū}$) achieved in the dance is the ideal state realized after "human relationships coexist" and are differentiated by "Rites and Righteousness." Everyone has their position, their movements, their rhythm, yet they coordinate harmoniously, proceeding with ease and tranquility—this is not the product of coercion but the result of cultivation.