RT Article
T1 Li 禮, Ritual and Pedagogy: A Cross-Cultural Exploration
JF Sophia
VO 51
IS 2
SP 227
OP 242
A1 Sigurðsson, Geir
LA English
PB Springer Netherlands
YR 2012
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1785592033
AB The aim of this article is to show, first, that ritual in general and the Confucian li in particular can serve an important pedagogical function, and, secondly, that the sophisticated treatment of li by Confucius and his immediate followers demonstrates that they were consciously aware of this particular potential of li. The discussion takes off by considering formal, ritualized performances from an educational point of view by making use of some seminal, largely Western, research on ritual, though always with an eye on li. It then turns more specifically to li as exemplifying informal interpersonal conduct, whereby pre-Qin Confucian writings will be consulted to construct an interpretation of li as creative and personalized edifying embodiments of a cultural legacy. It will be argued that both aspects of ritual, formal and informal, are potentially of value as a pedagogical tool for instilling a communal sense in the practitioners as well as enabling them to contribute creatively to the ongoing evolution of their cultural habitat.
K1 Confucius
K1 Confucianism
K1 Tradition
K1 Creativity
K1 Pedagogy
K1 Education
K1 Propriety
K1 Li
K1 Rites
K1 Ritual
DO 10.1007/s11841-012-0319-z