Editing Confucianism (section)

===Five Classics and the Confucian vision===
[[File:Confucius, fresco from a Western Han tomb of Dongping County, Shandong province, China.jpg|thumb|[[Confucius]] in a fresco from a [[Western Han]] tomb in [[Dongping County|Dongping]], [[Shandong]]]]
Traditionally, Confucius was thought to be the author or editor of the [[Four Books and Five Classics|Five Classics]] which were the basic texts of Confucianism, all edited into their received versions around 500 years later by Imperial Librarian [[Liu Xin (scholar)|Liu Xin]].<ref>{{ cite journal
| last = Nylan | first = Michael
| title= "Empire" in the Classical Era in China (304 BC–AD 316)
| journal= Oriens Extremus
| volume= 46 | year = 2007 | pages = 48–83
| publisher= Harrassowitz Verlag
| jstor =24047664
}}</ref>{{rp|51}} The scholar [[Xinzhong Yao|Yao Xinzhong]] allows that there are good reasons to believe that Confucian classics took shape in the hands of Confucius, but that "nothing can be taken for granted in the matter of the early versions of the classics". The sixth classic similar to the [[Classic of Poetry]] was the [[Classic of Music]]. It was lost during the [[Han dynasty]]. Music carried an invaluable tool to induce focus in performing rituals.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Who said there was a ''Classic of Music''?|last=Waring|first=Luke|journal= Early China| doi=10.1017/eac.2022.3 |publisher= Cambridge University Press| pages= 467–514 | date=2022 | volume=45}}</ref> These were the internal (music) and external (rites) keys to harmonizing society.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Garrison|first=James|title=The Social Value of Ritual and Music in Classical Chinese Thought|jstor=43046966|date=August 2012|journal=Teorema | volume=31 | number=3 | pages= 209–222}}</ref> Yao suggests that most modern scholars hold the "pragmatic" view that Confucius and his followers did not intend to create a system of classics, but nonetheless "contributed to their formation".{{sfnb|Yao|2000|pp=52–54}}

[[File:Confucius Tang Dynasty.jpg|thumb|Painting of Confucius donning [[hanfu|traditional robes]], by [[Wu Daozi]], 8th century]]

The scholar [[Tu Weiming]] explains these classics as embodying "five visions" which underlie the development of Confucianism:
* ''[[I Ching]]'' (''Classic of Change'' or ''Book of Changes''), generally held to be the earliest of the classics, shows a metaphysical vision which combines divinatory art with numerological technique and ethical insight; philosophy of change sees cosmos as interaction between the two energies yin and yang; universe always shows organismic unity and dynamism.
* ''[[Classic of Poetry]]'' or ''Book of Songs'' is the earliest anthology of [[Chinese poetry|Chinese poems]] and songs, with the earliest strata antedating the Zhou conquest. It shows the poetic vision in the belief that poetry and music convey common human feelings and mutual responsiveness.
* ''[[Book of Documents]]'' or ''Book of History'' is a compilation of speeches of major figures and records of events in ancient times, embodying the political vision and addressing the kingly way in terms of the ethical foundation for humane government. The documents show the sagacity, filial piety, and work ethic of mythical sage-emperors Yao, Shun, and Yu, who established a political culture which was based on responsibility and trust. Their virtue formed a covenant of social harmony which did not depend on punishment or coercion. 
* ''[[Book of Rites]]'' describes the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty. This social vision defined society not as an adversarial system based on contractual relations but as a network of kinship groups bound by cultural identity and ritual practice, socially responsible for one another and the transmission of proper antique forms. The [[Four occupations|four functional occupations]] are cooperative (farmer, scholar, artisan, merchant).
* ''[[Spring and Autumn Annals]]'' chronicles the period to which it gives its name, [[Spring and Autumn period]] (771–481&nbsp;BC), from the perspective of Confucius's home state of [[Lu (state)|Lu]]. These events emphasise the significance of collective memory for communal self-identification, for reanimating the old is the best way to attain the new.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tu |first=Weiming | author-link=Tu Weiming | author-mask= Tu Weiming |title=The Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on Chinese Civilization |publisher=University of California Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-0-520-06441-6 |editor-last=Ropp |editor-first=Paul S. |chapter=Confucian Tradition in Chinese History |editor-last2=Barrett |editor-first2=Timothy Hugh| page=113}}</ref>