Why is The Book of Songs so important?

Summary: The Book of Songs is an ancient book that Confucianism attaches great importance to. It and The Songs of the South have determined the aesthetic tone and orientation of the Chinese nation for more than a thousand years, and also contain Confucian political thoughts. This paper will sort out this ancient book from three aspects.

From the anthropological point of view, poetry can be defined in this way, and language has a certain rhythm and vague meaning. Poetry was originally closely related to witchcraft. Modern people think witchcraft is superstition, but it is undeniable that witchcraft played an important role in the evolution of early human beings, and there is even a saying that witchcraft and history are not separated. It is no wonder that the backward recording technology of early humans led historians to record only major events in the country, while the cognitive ability of ancient people was limited, so every divination was a major event that decided the fate of the country, so there was a saying that witchcraft and history were not separated.

The rhythm and obscure meaning of poetic language make many speakers like to quote. Since the flood era, our brains have been unprepared for this expression. The most vulnerable thing in a speech is not strict logic and reasoning, but emotional impact and singing failure, because our brains hate evidence and logic most, because it takes a lot of energy, and natural evolution requires us to adopt the most energy-saving way to survive. Rhythmic language can just stimulate emotional singing, while obscure language during sacrifice makes ancestors believe that they are having mysterious communication with gods, which is not only spiritual comfort, but also an effective way to strengthen community cohesion and stimulate community centripetal force.

If you want to ask me the most touching sentence in the Book of Songs, I think it is probably "I am gone, and the willows are reluctant; When I came to Sri Lanka today, it rained heavily. " Xie An, a famous minister in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, also asked the same question. Later, Xie Xuan, a talented young man who was famous for directing the Battle of Feishui, gave the same answer as me. This colorful and slightly sad poem, accompanied by constant sadness, intoxicated young people. Xie An, on the other hand, thinks that the most commendable thing is "it's a long story" (reporting to the national policy). Today, few people should know this sentence. What Xie An's choice implies is that the aesthetic standard of The Book of Songs is not the beauty of literature, but the beauty of politics. The Book of Songs is not written for our young writers and artists, but calls on all of us to be "my fair lady, and gentlemen are good". But to restrain temperament and emphasize political correctness, which can explain why The Book of Songs can be interpreted as the virtue of many empresses.

There are only the following five methods for Bao Zheng's handed down works.

Look for the root cause carefully, the straight road is a personal plan;

Xiugan eventually becomes a building, and fine steel is not a hook;

The warehouse is full of mice and birds, and the grass is full of rabbits and foxes;

There are teachings in history, don't be ashamed;

From the perspective of poetic art alone, this poem is not good, but in the Confucian concept, it is indeed a good poem, because the word is politically correct, and "singing a word to break a few whiskers" is a strange skill. Therefore, there is "literature of surplus mechanics".

Confucius once asked his son how to speak without learning poetry (how to speak without learning the Book of Songs? )

This question puzzles me. I can't speak without opening my mouth. Why can't you talk if you don't learn the Book of Songs?

In the Spring and Autumn Period, it was a diplomat's standard to quote the Book of Songs properly. People don't talk about interests naked. After all, our nation is implicit. After all, a gentleman is ashamed of profit. Being able to quote the Book of Songs skillfully is a good quality of a diplomat. During the Spring and Autumn Period, fighting was also an activity that only nobles could participate in. Only the intellectuals in the nobility can take part in the war, so they are called "warriors", and ordinary people can't take part in the war. Far less fierce than during the Warring States period. In other words, reading and using The Book of Songs is a symbol of nobility.

It takes ten years to train a local tyrant and a hundred years to train a noble. It is expensive to arm yourself with brand-name bags and watches, but it is the cheapest and quickest way to mark your identity. Promoted from the inside, you can't just smash it out with money. This is a time-consuming and laborious thing. The upper class has been trying to maintain its elite status and draw a clear line with ordinary people, and luxury goods are the most unreliable thing, because it is the most unreliable thing. The gap between aristocrats and ordinary people is characterized by restraint, implication and detachment.

Poetry is as useless as luxury goods, and even like philosophy, it is exclusive to the rich and idle nobles. No wonder you can't imagine using a famous lady to wrap leftovers in Hermes bags, and you can't imagine an elegant lady wearing crystal shoes stepping on muddy water to catch a bus. It is precisely because they are useless that they are useful and valuable. Girls want the stars in the sky, and capitalists make expensive and useless diamonds. Although the chemical composition of diamond and coal is the same, their molecular arrangement and combination are different. Coal can also be used for heating and taking heat, and coal is used to generate electricity. No diamond can keep love fresh. Well, as you can see. I am a typical poor person, and I can't touch the edge of the nobility.

From this perspective, the more civilian the society is, the lower the value of poetry is.

Let's make a summary,

First, poetry is a language with a strong sense of rhythm and vague meaning, and its origin in witchcraft is closely related.

Second, The Book of Songs is respected by Confucianism, not because of its literariness, but because it emphasizes the beauty of politics.

Thirdly, The Book of Songs once served as a luxury and was the language of aristocratic communication. The more civilian a society is, the lower its value is.

Welcome to read, see you next week!