「악기」의 예악론과 음양사상

Abstract

Under the influence of the Yin-Yang theory, the discourse on ritual and music in the “Yueji” chapter of the Liji elaborates the contrasting yet complementary concept of ritual and music and advances the argument that the implementer of ritual and music influences the natural world. The Yin-Yang theory sees the world based on contrasting yet complementary pairs, and this viewpoint develops the discussion that corresponds various elements to ritual and music. In addition, the Yin-Yang theory presents a viewpoint that the human world and the natural world are interconnected; based on this idea, it formulates the argument that ritual and music influence the natural world, which strengthens the role of the implementer of ritual and music. The discourse on ritual and music is developed in detail in “Yueji”, but it is still insufficient to evaluate it as an orderly discussion. To be more specific, the discourse on ritual and music formulates a detailed argument centering on the complementary concept of ritual and music. In addition, it includes the discussion of the natural world as the complementary concept of ritual and music is connected to heaven and earth, which can be considered substantial progress in the development of the discourse on ritual and music. However, not all elements corresponding to ritual and music directly reflect their characteristics, and some have weak correlation with them. Moreover, “Yueji” emphasizes the view that music originates from the heart, and based on this view, various characteristics are given to music, but these characteristics are not consistent. The implementer of ritual and music is one of the important subjects of the discourse on ritual and music of “Yueji”, but a new perspective on ritual and music is hardly provided in relation to this subject. That is, as for music, it only extends the already shared view on music, which is that music helps promote the vitality of the natural world, to the context of the discourse on ritual and music. Furthermore, the influence of ritual on the natural world is rarely addressed. The discourse on ritual and music of “Yueji” was able to develop discussions on the complementary concept of ritual and music and the implementer of ritual and music who exerts influence on the natural world, thanks to the wide recognition of the Yin-Yang theory. As a result, it lays a solid foundation for the discourse on ritual and music; however, it has yet to be completed with a coherent and consistent discussion.