The Book of Lost Books by Stuart Kelly Read Free Book Online

At the simplest level this is a clear indictment of hypocrisy. No amount of solemn observation of social niceties, civil responsibilities, and religious etiquette can compensate for a hardened heart. But Confucius continues, linking
jen
to another concept. “If a man is without
jen,
what has he to do with music?”
    Music and
li
were paired in Confucius’ teaching. As well as possessing wisdom, courage, and self-control, the paradigmatic man would be refined by
li
and music. The man “whose mind was already awakened by understanding
The Book of Poetry
would be established by
li
and perfected by music.” What this perfection would consist of, we cannot know, as
The Book of Music
is lost.
    Throughout the
Lun yü
or
Analects,
there are, however, numerous instances that testify to the importance of music in the scheme of Confucius’ thinking. On his travels, when Confucius heard the music of Shun, he did not eat meat for three months, saying, “I never dreamed that the joys of music could reach such heights.” After he returned to his home state of Lu, he set about reforming its music. An apocryphal story from the
Shih chi
of Ssu-ma Ch’ien claims that, as a young man, Confucius studied a piece of music with the Master Hsiang. He worked so assiduously that he could see the composer in his mind’s eye, and startled the Master by declaring (correctly) that the piece was written by King Wen, the so-called Cultured King.
    Moreover, twice in the
Analects,
Confucius draws attention to the deleterious effects that improper music could have. The tunes from the state of Cheng were wanton, and comparable to specious orators. They had corrupted classical music, like the debased mixed color of purple that was replacing the pure color of vermilion, or like the self-interested and ambitiously clever men who treacherously deposed noble families.
    Music, good government, humaneness, and ritual were all part of a seamless vision of an ordered universe. As Ssu-ma Ch’ien said, all of the six books help to govern: “
The Book of Rites
helps regulate men,
The
Book of Music
brings about harmony,
The Book of History
records incidents,
The Book of Poetry
expresses emotions,
The Book of Changes
reveals supernatural influences and
The Spring and Autumn Annals
show what is right.” Confucius’ reforms of music sought to restore the pentatonic balances, stripping away innovation and mere decoration. Corrupted music could infect the whole universe with discord. Confucius clearly believed there was a political benefit to be gleaned from cultural savoir faire: he berated the official who knew the three hundred odes in
The Book of Poetry
by heart, but could not use them strategically when sent to foreign states.
    Given its importance, it seems surprising that
The Book of Music
was lost. What is more surprising is that any of Confucius at all survived.
    By 221 B.C.E., King Cheng, the overlord of a semibarbarous state known as Ch’in, finally conquered the remaining states of Chao, Yen, Ch’i, Ch’u, and Han (Lu, alongside many others, having been incorporated during the “Warring States” period). Under the name of August First Emperor Shih Huang-ti, he set about turning the disparate states into an empire.
    He was assisted in this by his chancellor, Li Ssu, the theoretical architect behind the military might of the emperor. Li Ssu belonged to a school of thought known as legalism, which was fundamentally opposed to much of Confucian thought.
    For example, Confucius’ ideal ruler led by being a moral exemplar to the people: his virtue would affect the populace in much the same way as grass could not help but be bent by the wind. Legalism had a very different approach to the business of governance. The emperor’s key function was punishment and reward; he made examples of the people.
    While Shih Huang-ti became increasingly reliant on alchemists, searched for an elixir of eternal