为弱势者而设计的礼:从荀子到现代社会

与大多数宗教或哲学体系相比,儒家学说是相对“此世”的,它的目标是提升我们当下的生活方式。此外,儒家学说与其他学说的另一个不同之处是,它接纳了我们这些可以通过某些途径被加以塑造的人,并旨在尽可能地减少我们难以根除的缺陷。“礼”的一个重要功能正是教化人们相互影响的方式,礼的缺失就会导致个人之间的相互冲突从而使人们的生活变得艰难,尤其是对弱者来说更是如此。

Rituals for the Disadvantaged: From Xunzi to the Modern World

Compared to most religious/philosophical systems, Confucianism is relatively this-worldly, it aims to improve the way that we lead our lives here and now. Moreover, it accepts the kinds of creatures we are, moldable in some ways but not in others, and aims to minimize the manifestation of difficult-to-eradicate character flaws to the extent possible. One important function of ritual is precisely to civilize - to make civil - forms of human interaction that would otherwise lead to conflict and make life difficult, particularly for the weak and vulnerable.