Estudo sobre o Pensamento Confuciano da Governança por Ritos e seu Valor Cultural Contemporâneo

Study on Confucian Thought of Governance by Rites and its Contemporary Cultural Value

Abstract

Confucian thought on governance through Li (Rites, 礼), anchored in the concept of Ren (humanity, 仁), surpasses the ritual system of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Faced with the dissolution of educational hierarchies during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, rites progressively distanced themselves from their original sacredness, reorienting themselves toward the everyday sphere. Their pedagogical function intensified, becoming widely disseminated and socially internalized. Confucian reflection substantially reformulated ritual content and form, integrating dimensions of virtuous cultivation such as Ren (humanity, 仁), Yi (justice, 义), Zhong (loyalty, 忠), and Xin (credibility, 信), embodying both political ideals and the personal aspirations of literati. This conceptual reformulation of Li enhanced its educational and social governance functions. This robust ritualistic construct offers a relevant reference for contemporary cultural construction. Today, education and the dissemination of knowledge enable members of society to collectively build a cultural subjectivity, achieving deep and comprehensive axiological recognition.

Keywords: Li; Virtue; Ren; Education; Culture.