Thought and Culture of Western Zhou Dynasty

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, slavery was very popular. The source of slaves, for reward or sale, is often called male and female servants, while those from sinners or prisoners of war are often called "slaves". The word "male and female servants" existed at the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty. In the Lu Gong Oath in Shangshu Feishi, male and female slaves are compared to horses and cows, both of which are the property of a specific owner. Those who escape should be brought back and returned to their original owners, and those who hide or abduct should be punished. Around the time of the restoration of Kang Wang, there was a saying that "there were clothes, courtiers and shells after Yan", which also showed that courtiers and property were also occupied by slave owners.

The ideological culture of the Western Zhou Dynasty is based on rites and music.

Mainly.

The ritual system of the Western Zhou Dynasty inherited the Shang Dynasty and changed. At the beginning of the week, he tried to reverse the extravagant atmosphere popular in the late Shang Dynasty and repeatedly warned against drinking. From the wine patent when Shangshu became king to the inscription when Dakang was king, it is said that we should listen to the warning that we should not indulge in wine. Reflected in the bronze ritual vessels, many common wine vessels in Shang Dynasty gradually disappeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou Li is very complicated. According to Zhou Li, there are five gifts: good luck, fierce, military, guest and kindness: good luck refers to offering sacrifices to ancestors and various gods; Fierce rites refer to funerals, including mourning for natural and man-made disasters; Military salute refers to war and activities such as hunting and fortification that mobilize a large number of manpower; Li Bin refers to the meeting between governors and dynasties, the appointment and alliance between governors, etc. Gifts refer to weddings, coronations, banquets, celebrations, guest shooting, etc. All etiquette systems, like laws, reflect the distinction between high and low.

Music was highly valued in the Western Zhou Dynasty and was managed by specialized officials. Some music and dances in the Zhou Dynasty originated very early. For example, "Dawu" was written and performed during the martial arts of Zhou Temple. The lyrics of this kind of music and dance are still preserved in poems, that is, in the articles of Wu, Zhu, Huan and others.