Zhou Li, formerly known as Zhou Guan, was called Zhou Li by Liu Xin at the end of the Western Han Dynasty. The Legend of Zhou Li was written by Zhou Gongdan and regarded as a work of the Warring States Period. The word Zhou means an official of the Western Zhou Dynasty or Sunday. Zhou Li is divided into six chapters: celestial officials, local officials, spring officials, summer officials, Qiu Guan officials and winter officials. The six officials symbolize the harmony between heaven and earth and embody the idea of "ruling heaven by the people".

Yili, also known as Book of Rites or Shi Li, was called Yili in Jin Dynasty. It is said that The Book of Rites was written by Duke Zhou or Confucius, and people around you think it is a compilation of some rites during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and the book should have been written in the early and middle period of the Warring States Period. The so-called "rites" in the Five Classics of the Pre-Qin and Western Han Dynasties all refer to "rites".

The Book of Rites generally refers to the Book of Rites of Little Dai compiled by Dai Sheng in the Western Han Dynasty. Most of the basic contents reflected in The Book of Rites are pre-Qin ancient books, and some Confucius' remarks or his disciples' exertion of Confucius' thoughts are also recorded, but some chapters were written by Confucian scholars in Qin and Han Dynasties.

The Content and Spirit of Zhou Li

Zhou Li is a book that expresses the general plan of governing the country through the official system. It is extremely rich in content and involves all aspects of social life. The recorded ceremony system is the most systematic, including national ceremonies such as sacrifice, pilgrimage, sealing off the country, hunting patrol and funeral. , as well as the tripod system, music hanging system, horse riding system, clothing system, ritual jade system and other specific norms.

The basis of the legitimacy of institutional norms is the spirit of benevolence, or more precisely, the spirit of fraternity. Confucian view of benevolence includes two indispensable aspects: poor love; The benevolence of one body.

Only talking about poor love will eventually lead to Yang Zhu's solipsism, that is, he is no longer a Confucian; Only talking about the benevolence of one body will logically lead to Mo Zhai's universal love, and he will no longer be a Confucian. The Confucian view of benevolence not only admits the inferiority of love, but also transcends this inferiority by deduction and goes towards equal treatment.