China, known as the "hometown of rites and music", has a long tradition of music education. Throughout the long history of music education in China, it is not difficult to find that music plays a more important role in moral education in music education, so it has been valued and respected by the ruling classes in past dynasties. Music thought, that is, music view, refers to the view of music. There are different opinions about music from ancient times to the present, and the Confucian music thought has the most profound influence on China's music culture.
Second, the basic ideas of Confucian music thought
1. Advocate the unity of goodness and beauty, benevolence and joy.
The combination of "beauty" (the most important essence of which is "music") and "goodness" (that is, in line with Confucius' political thought of "benevolence") is the basic understanding and requirement of music put forward by Confucius based on his experience of music. "Rites and Music" said: "The musician is happy (happy). A gentleman delights in his way, while a villain delights in his desire. " Music can first bring people a sense of pleasure, which is the basis of musical beauty. Confucius attached great importance to this and fully affirmed it, because it was also the basis for Confucius to use music as an educational means. However, as Le Shu said in Historical Records, those who have fun should abstain from it. A gentleman takes modesty as a gift, takes loss as a pleasure, and so on. The so-called "harmony" actually refers to the harmonious unity of all kinds of heterogeneity and the dissolution of all kinds of opposites. The function of music lies in harmony with people's minds. Of course, only when "beauty" and "goodness" are unified can music with "benevolence" and "music" have such a function. Emphasizing the harmony and unity of "beauty" and "goodness", "benevolence" and "joy" is the most important basis for Confucius' art of life.
2. Advocate "ceremony" and "music"
The so-called "courtesy and people's hearts, music and people's voices"; Also, the ceremony, music, punishment and politics are mentioned together, and it is considered that "the ceremony, music, punishment and politics are essential for the king" (Historical Records Le Shu). It can be seen how important political enlightenment function music has been endowed with. Of course, "music" and "ceremony" and "punishment" and "politics" work in different ways, because music comes from China and ceremony acts on the outside. Joy comes from the middle, so it is quiet, and courtesy comes from the outside. Big fun is easy, big gifts are simple. There is no resentment when you are happy, and there is no dispute when you are polite. It is also true that those who submit to the world are polite and happy. The joy of saints can also be good for the people. It's very touching and easy to change customs. Therefore, Wang Dao's rites and music are the first to make people harmonious. (Xun Zi Yue Lun) "Ordinary people are born in people's hearts". Because people's joy is the function of cultivating. Jimei is good at music that meets the requirements of "benevolence", edifies and educates people, and can make people's heart (music) become the power to pursue "benevolence" and make people get a way out. "This achieved the purpose of yue.
3. Advocating Le Tong ethics.
Confucianism has always emphasized "cultivation", "keeping the family in order", "governing the country" and "leveling the world". The personal accomplishment of intellectuals is universal, which is a Confucian tradition. Poetry, song and dance are the basic elements of music. Compared with other human arts, these three elements can be established without the help of other objective things, so they are based on the heart. So these musical instruments, such as stone, silk and bamboo, are essentially the second meaning of music. The so-called "silk is not as good as bamboo, and bamboo is not as good as meat" should also be based on the above reasons. Therefore, traditional instrumental music in China lacks independence. Some people say that China's music history is almost a history of the Song Dynasty. More importantly, Confucianism believes that music is a "flower of virtue" and music is a "general ethics". At the same time, Confucianism also believes that conscience exists in human nature, and good morality is the natural expression of human nature. It is also said that "a musician is a flower of virtue" and "a musician is a virtue". It is of course the most natural thing that a gentleman's pleasure is used to cultivate sentiment, educate the whole people and change customs.
Third, the development and dominant position of Confucian music aesthetics
Confucius summed up the aesthetic thought since the pre-Qin period in music, and formed the essence of Confucian musical aesthetic thought, which was further inherited and developed in later generations and gradually occupied a dominant position.
Mencius is regarded as the successor of Confucius' theory and known as the "Asian sage", which has a great influence on later generations. He believes that music is happiness and an irresistible natural expression of inner joy; It is believed that people are born with the desire and ability to appreciate music, and people have a common aesthetic feeling for music; It is believed that the content of music should be the virtue of "benevolence" and "righteousness", so listening to music can know morality and politics; Only by advocating "having fun with the people" can the world be ruled. It is from this realm of life that Mencius viewed aesthetic and artistic enjoyment, opposed the monarch's monopoly on aesthetic art, opposed the monarch's "exclusive pleasure" and incorporated the idea of "enjoying with the people" into his theory of "benevolent governance". Mencius did not oppose the new sound of pop music, but only to meet the needs of social aesthetics and artistic development at that time, which had a profound impact on Confucian music aesthetics in later generations.
Xunzi inherited and developed Confucian music aesthetics represented by Confucius and Mencius, and made some breakthroughs in some aspects. Xunzi's Theory of Music is a complete monograph on ancient music aesthetics in China, which has a great influence on Yue Ji and later music aesthetics. The interpretation of the essence of music in Yue Ji has considerable depth. It is believed that "every sound comes from the heart." People move things smoothly, and feelings move things, so the sound is shaped. The sound is corresponding, so it changes and becomes a square, which is called sound. It's fun to be happy with the sound and stay dry. ""Every voice, the heart also. Emotion moves in the middle, so it is shaped by sound; When the sound is written, it means the sound. "It affirms that music is the art of expressing feelings, expressing people's inner world and revealing people's mental state. It is also the art of sound, and it is the process of artistic labor that turns natural sound into artistic music. Therefore, there is a simple materialistic understanding of the interpretation of music, the ideological cause of human society.
On the relationship between music and politics, Yue Ji emphasizes that music reflects the political situation and social atmosphere of the country, so people can know the political quality of the country through music, which is called "judging music and knowing politics". It said: "It is the voice that rules the world, a Le Yi and its politics; The voice of troubled times is angry, and its politics is good; The voice of national subjugation grieves, and its people are trapped. The way of voice is connected with politics! " It holds that all music works have certain real life content, so the aesthetic feeling of music is an important form of understanding reality, emphasizing the relationship between music and politics, music and society. This view embodies the consistent music proposition of Confucianism, and also meets the historical requirements of consolidating the feudal ruling order at that time.
The social function of music is one of the core issues expounded in Yue Ji. It believes that music is an indispensable means of governing the country. Using the aesthetic function of music to correct the social atmosphere and make the whole society harmonious and consistent is the purpose of the former king. Therefore, Music Records always juxtaposes rites and music, pointing out that the mutual cooperation of rites and music is the basis of class rule, treating music equally with morality, law and politics, and attaching great importance to its role in the national superstructure. Yue Ji also emphasizes the ethical education function of music, pointing out that music must be restricted by politics and ethics. This view of music formed to meet the civil and military needs of the ruling class undoubtedly played a positive role at that time.
Four. conclusion
The thoughts and theories of Confucianism and Confucius have developed into a system, which has a certain historical role and far-reaching influence. From the standpoint of the ruling class, Confucius has seen the political and artistic significance of music at that time, and also pointed out the way for the use of music. He has both views and methods on music. Confucius emphasized that the connection between music and real life is the unity of emotion and reason, and it is a bright spot of the practical effect of music serving society and politics.
The purpose of studying Confucian music thought today is to sort out the historical development vein for our current music education and development, and to find the soul and essence of national culture contained in our current music. Our knowledge today should be said to come from the summary and promotion of predecessors' experience and ideas, and our music culture today also comes from the criticism, inheritance and development of historical music culture. It is through the intergenerational transmission of culture that our life reflects the unity and continuity of history.