Abstract
The paper tries to investigate why Confucius make the claim of "relating (shu) instead of making (zuo)." It starts with an exegesis of "shu (relating)" and "zuo (making)," putting them back into their initial context of oral and ritual tradition. The paper demonstrates that "shu (relating)" originated from the rite of oral praying and "zuo (making)" was a later extension, each with its own emphasis. While "shu" lays particular stress on abiding by the skill of divination and putting the ritual words and deeds into practice, "zuo" lays particular stress on the ritual tradition of inscription and building. The key distinction between "shu" and "zuo" is the different cognitive competence of the inspiration from the divinity. In the times of Confucius, oral recounting and ritual practice are the prevailing mode of imparting knowledge. The apparent contradictory in Confucius' claim of "relating instead of making" and his practice of writing Spring and Autumn Annals points on the one hand to a fissure in the process of Confucius' consecration and on the other hand to the disciplinary power retained in the mythological rituals. Confucius as the last sage of the oral culture and mythohistorical tradition is also subject to mythological encoding and its discursive power.
First Page
37
Last Page
43
Recommended Citation
Tang, Qicui. 2012. ""Relating instead of Making" and the Sage Myth." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 32, (2): pp.37-43. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol32/iss2/1
