System-forming Principles of chinese Culture: from Ritual (Li 礼) to modern Practices

Abstract

The article examines the system-forming principles of traditional Chinese culture and reveals the role of the (Li 礼) ritual as a key mechanism for the formation and reproduction of cultural order. Based on the analysis of classical Confucian texts, contemporary cultural-philosophical studies, and current socio-cultural practices of the PRC, the transformation of ritual principles under conditions of modernization and globalization is investigated. The the sis that the (Li 礼) ritual is not a frozen archaic form but a dynamic axiological structure determining the interconnection of ethics, social organization, and cultural identity is substantiated. Special attention is paid to the mechanisms of adaptation of traditional ritual principles in educational, political, and everyday practices of modern China. The function of ritual as an instrument of social consolidation and cultural continuity under civilizational challenges is revealed.