"book Of Rites Within The Study

Nei Ze is an important chapter of The Book of Rites. This chapter records Zhou Dynasty's family etiquette, which has profound influence on Chinese family etiquette. The thesis consists of four parts:content and etiquette, research history, the ideology of Li and influence of Nei Ze. For a better understanding of Nei Ze's content and etiquette, we discuss the meaning, content and family etiquette of Nei Ze. For a systematic summary of the research conducted on this chapter throughout history, we discuss the achievement of the study about Nei Ze in different times. By analyzing the etiquette of Nei Ze, we look at the ideology of Li that Nei Ze contains. By comparing Nei Ze with Sima Guang's Shu Yi and Zhu Xi's Jia Li, we investigate the influence and reference of Nei Ze. Based on the research, we observe that Nei Ze is the etiquette rule which the members of family should follow inside the house. It was also interpreted as the traditional woman ethics and duties for woman in later age. Nei Ze includes rules of family, diet, retirement, and raising children, while each part specifies details rules of its own. Historically, researches on Nei Ze in different period have different characteristics. Scholars of Han Dynasty pay more attention on its annotation. Scholars of the South and North Dynasty and Sui and Tang Dynasty focus on the annotation of the Han research. Scholars of Song Dynasty concentrate on the interpretation of Yi Li, which scholars of Yuan and Ming Dynasty inherit in their studies. Scholars of Qing Dynasty combine the studies done by the of Han and Song scholars. The idea of Li in Nei Ze involves filial piety toward the parents, the parents' love, the difference between men and women, respect for the elder and the care for the young, the hierarchy of high and low. These ideas are used for maintaining the order in family and society. They exert both positive and negative influences. Nei Ze is not only good for maintaining the family order of Zhou Dynasty. Further, it is greatly influential for family ritual in later generations. It is also beneficial to family stability and social harmony in contemporary society.