Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No.10, 2013

The Earlier Establishment of the Object-Chanting Tradition in Ancient China

(Abstract)

Lu Chengwen

Ancient Chinese yongwu literature (object-chanting literature) originated in the pre-Qin period and became increasingly popular in the entire spectrum of literary styles. The earlier forms of pre-Qin yongwu literature, typically found in a small number of yongwu literary pieces and several yongwu chapters or passages, mainly expressed and chanted the “objects” in three levels: observing and perceiving “objects” as an objective and external being to obtain knowledge about them; observing and perceiving “objects” as a point of reference for human society to seek truth and figure out the ways of the world; and observing and perceiving “objects” as a point of reference for “man” himself to express his feelings and aspirations, whence the establishment of yongwu tradition in ancient China. Among others, The Classic of Mountains and Rivers offered an all-encompassing view and gave a wide-ranging account of different things, laying a foundation for the “extensive and exotic” style of yongwu tradition. The Book of Changes, the works of pre-Qin thinkers and some pre-Qin instrument inscriptions used parables about objects as a way of observing things and pursuing the truth of things, paving the way for the “illuminating and revealing” yongwu tradition. And The Book of Songs, An Ode to the Tangerine by Qu Yuan and several verses in pre-Qin songs used objects as an analogy or metaphor to evoke human emotions and express their aspirations, thereby establishing the “lyrical and expressive” tradition and facilitating the emergence of yongwu poetry.