From the Bodily Feelings on the "Wei" of the Ancient Chinese Gentleman
Resource
考古人類學刊, 74, 89-118
Journal
考古人類學刊
Journal Issue
74
Pages
89-118
Date Issued
2011-06
Date
2011-06
Author(s)
Abstract
Wei（威）in ancient Chinese society plays an important role. The wei of gentleman can make subjects obey, establish ethical standards, and steady the country. Therefore, the Book of Songs said "With reverent (wei) care of his outward demeanor, One will become the pattern of the people" the Analects also said " A gentleman not being steadfast is not able to command respect (wei)."
This essay tries to clarify three aspects of the wei of gentleman using the concept of bodily feelings. Firstly, wei owes to the sway and potential for inflicting punishment which is converted into the prestige of gentleman which he should be “imposing without being fierce." Its nature is a physical reception, and in everyday life, it could have the political ramification of causing others to "stand in awe and yet feel love". Secondly, bodily feelings were molded out of dress costumes and difficult, precise bodily movements, the so-called "three thousand rules of demeanor" which contained complex rules of rituals and appearance. Thirdly, the idea that "rules of propriety can be compared to the human body" states that in the Zhou Dynasty the bodily experience of earlier people was transformed into a ritualized corporality. The bodily feeling of wei is the result of perception of and by this ritualized corporality, and has the function of identifying qualified people. Therefore, through analysis of bodily feelings of wei, we can see the concrete results of the interaction of cultural symbols and the physical body in ancient China.
Subjects
身體、身體感、威、威儀、禮(body, bodily feelings, wei, outward demeanor, ritual )
Type
journal article
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