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The term is used to describe efforts to teach people essential ideals and principles of renwen (人文) and guide them to embrace goodness with the aim of building a harmonious – albeit hierarchical – social order, according to the level of development of a civilization and the specifics of the society. Renwen refers to poetry, books, social norms, music, law, and other non-material components of civilization. Hua (化) means to edify the populace; cheng (成) refers to the establishment or prosperity of rule by civil means (as opposed to force). The concept emphasizes rule by civil means, and is another expression of the Chinese concept of “civilization.”
Renwen (人文) encompasses the cultural and ethical progress created by rites, music, education, codes, and systems as well as a social order which is hierarchical but harmonious. Renwen is in contrast to tianwen (天文), the study of celestial bodies including the sun, moon, and stars. Renwen also refers to human affairs in general, that is, behaviors, customs, and the human state. Under the influence of Western culture in the modern period, renwen came to mean cultural phenomena in human society as well as the humanities, which are academic disciplines that study human culture.
Originally, this term meant to educate and influence people. Later, it came to refer to the function of shaping customary social practices, namely, the educational role of literary and artistic works in changing social behaviors and popular culture. Originating from “Introductions to Mao’s Version of The Book of Songs,” the term is one of the important concepts of the Confucian school on the function of the arts. It believes that poetry and music have a role to play in shaping people’s mind, reflecting the notion that rulers can educate and influence the general public by imparting a particular ideology in a top-down fashion, thereby achieving the desired effect of cultivating the general culture. The influence of this concept is far-reaching； it has impacted much of artistic creation in China, all the way from the poetry and music of the pre-Qin period to literary and artistic works in the modern times. It not only reflects the Confucian view on moral education, but also imparts a sense of social responsibility on writers and artists. However, if an artistic work overemphasizes moral cultivation, it runs the risk of placing ideology before artistic form, thus compromising its aesthetic value. The right way is to embed teaching in entertainment and let a literary or artistic work exert its influence on social mentality in a subtle and imperceptible way.
This refers to the effect a ruler’s virtuous behavior has on his subjects, in the way the wind influences the myriad things. Moral cultivation is an important part of education. The Confucian view is that a ruler should set an example to the people, influencing them unobtrusively. If he is moral and ethical in conduct, the people will follow his example and abide by the rites and moral standards willingly without being under duress. The term also refers to the prevailing social mores in a country shaped by a ruler's influence.
Shaping the mind through education was a key concept of the political philosophy and an essential way of governance in ancient China. Rulers usually used a combination of means, both visible and invisible, to subtly spread their values among people so that these values would be observed in people’s daily life, leading to integration of governance and social mores. These means include issuing administrative decrees, conducting moral education, creating a favorable environment, disseminating popular literature that promoted ethical values, and selecting officials through imperial examinations.
In ancient China, music, together with poetry, was a way to conduct political education. Reviewing music education in the Zhou Dynasty, the Confucian scholars before the Qin-dynasty unification of China at the time concluded that music could transform social and cultural practices, stir up one’s inner emotions, and cultivate a good character. On this basis, they developed a comprehensive Confucian theory of music and music education. Subsequently, both “music education” and “poetry education” became important subjects in the official school system, forming a key part of early Chinese ritual and music culture.
Literally, the term means “this culture.” It encompasses the cultural and ethical progress created by rites, music, education, codes, and systems as well as a social order which is hierarchical but harmonious. Later, this term came to refer to the literati and extended to mean being cultured and refined.
This term refers to a thriving, prosperous, and perceptibly refined society in which people behave in a cultured fashion. Wen (文) refers to the arts and humanities, including social norms, music education, moral cultivation, and a social order that is hierarchical yet harmonious. Ming (明) means bright, prosperous, and highly civilized. The Chinese nation has always preferred wen to wu (武 force). This is the loftiest ideal pursued by the Chinese nation since ancient times. It was also the criterion by which to judge whether the governance of a nation was well conducted.
Laozi advocated “influencing others without preaching” as part of his philosophy of wuwei (无为) or non-action. In ancient times, rulers issued orders and instructions to shape their subjects’ speech, thoughts and behavior so as to conform to the proprieties. Laozi was against this kind of direct action, believing that instead of imposing their own will on the people, the sovereign should employ non-action and non-preaching methods to preserve and protect the natural state of their subjects. Later, the term came to mean influencing and guiding others by one’s moral conduct.
The ignorant should be enlightened through education so that they will follow the right path. (One opinion is that this must begin from early childhood.) Meng (蒙 ignorance) here refers to the naivety of the young and their lack of knowledge. Yang (养) means education. Zheng (正) suggests the right path, the proper way, and upright conduct. This term, which underlies Chinese pedagogy, stresses the importance of function and value of education.
This is one of the important functions of music. Social practices are common forms of behavior formed within communities over time, and they can also include aspects that do not conform to rites. Changing such widespread habits is extremely difficult and cannot be accomplished by mandatory regulations alone. This is where music comes into play by affecting and stirring people’s emotions so that they gradually change their ways and willingly conform to the requirements of rites.
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