[Li Zhanwei] Exploring the contemporary moral value of intangible cultural heritage

Abstract: As a historical creation of mankind, intangible cultural heritage is related to many aspects of human life, so its value is also multi-faceted.

However, as an important value of intangible cultural heritage-moral value, there is little discussion in the academic community.

On the basis of confirming the local folk customs of intangible cultural heritage and exploring the deep connection between folk customs and moral ethics, it is not difficult to find that intangible cultural heritage has important contemporary moral value: as far as moral individuals are concerned, it is related to the reputation and self-confidence of individuals, which can form a strong sense of individual pride and publicize individual vitality; as far as moral collectives are concerned, it is related to collective discipline and education, which can form a strong sense of collective honor and demonstrate the collective's conscious power of regulation; As far as moral groups are concerned, it is related to the reproduction and belonging of the group, which can form a strong sense of ethnic identity and achieve the core cohesion of the group; as far as national ethics is concerned, it is related to the fairness and equality of the country, which can enhance the broadest range of people.

A sense of happiness, and in turn enhance the overall soft power of the country.

Keywords: Intangible cultural heritage; local folk customs; moral value

Since the new century, intangible cultural heritage has become a hot topic in China, and its research and protection are currently in full swing.

Why has it become such an object of much attention? There are profound multiple backgrounds and multiple motivations, but the important value of intangible cultural heritage should be the most direct reason.

What is the value of intangible cultural heritage? There are many different opinions in the academic community.

According to the summaries of some domestic scholars, it has at least cultural value, scientific value, moral value, historical value, aesthetic value, educational value, economic value, political value and other aspects.

However, judging from the current domestic protection and research situation, the economic value, cultural value, and historical value of intangible cultural heritage have attracted the most attention, especially the economic value has become the only aspect that some places pay attention to in the protection of "intangible cultural heritage".

The actual situation is that concentrated or simple attention to the economic value of intangible cultural heritage has had many adverse impacts on the protection of "intangible cultural heritage", and has even caused further damage to "intangible cultural heritage".

Moreover, the understanding of the cultural value and historical value of intangible cultural heritage basically stays at the epistemological level, and does not rise to the ontological level to seriously think about why the public needs intangible cultural heritage and whether intangible cultural heritage can give them many deep-seated questions such as what survival and existence bring.

The answer to these questions involves the contemporary moral value of intangible cultural heritage.

If we want to understand the contemporary moral value of intangible cultural heritage, we should first solve the following questions: What are the cultural characteristics of intangible cultural heritage? What is the relationship between intangible cultural heritage and the public? What is the deep connection between the cultural characteristics of intangible cultural heritage and moral ethics?

1.

Confirmation of local folk customs of intangible cultural heritage

According to the prevailing views of the intellectual community, China's contemporary culture can be roughly divided into three categories, namely, dominant culture or mainstream culture, official culture, orthodox culture, etc.), elite culture or elegant culture, minority culture, small circle culture, etc.) and popular culture or popular culture, popular culture, cultural industries, etc.).

If classified according to this way, intangible cultural heritage may fall into the embarrassing situation of "homeless", because it is neither the main theme culture that reflects the orientation of official ideology; nor does it belong to the mass culture that uses media as the main means and market profit as the basic orientation; let alone those elite cultures that are arrogant and elegant in character.

So, what kind of culture does intangible cultural heritage belong to? We believe that it is to a large extent a kind of local folk culture closely connected with public life.

This conclusion can be roughly confirmed from the following points.

First of all, from the definition of intangible cultural heritage.

The Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage published by UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as: "Refers to the various social practices, concepts, expressions, knowledge, skills and related tools, objects, handicrafts and cultural venues that are regarded as part of their cultural heritage by various communities, groups, and sometimes individuals." This intangible cultural heritage has been passed down from generation to generation and is constantly recreated as communities and groups adapt to their surrounding environment and interact with nature and history, providing these communities and groups with a sense of identity and continuity, thereby enhancing cultural diversity.

and respect for human creativity." There are several keywords in this definition that deserve our attention: first,"passed down from generation to generation", which defines that intangible cultural heritage is not an official theme stipulated by the state, nor is it the high and low of elite culture, nor is it the fleeting nature of mass culture.

It is something rooted in the countryside and passed down from generation to generation; secondly, it is the sense of "identity", and it is the sense of identity of the community and group.

This sense of identity is community-based and has local consciousness and accumulation; Thirdly,"cultural diversity" means that the protection of intangible culture should fully pay attention to the diverse characteristics of China's traditional culture and the folk culture of those communities and communities that are substantially different from the official mainstream culture.

Perhaps based on this, Professor Gao Xiaokang, a domestic expert on intangible cultural heritage, once bluntly stated: "Protecting intangible cultural heritage is protecting the inheritance of local culture." In addition, based on the above definition, the Convention for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage also roughly stipulates the scope of intangible cultural heritage:1.

Oral traditions and forms of expression, including language as a medium of intangible cultural heritage;2.

Performing arts;3.

Social practice, rituals, festivals;4.

Knowledge and practice about nature and the universe;5.

Traditional handicrafts.

Among them, oral traditions, festival activities, traditional handicrafts, etc.

are all mainly activities among the people.

In other words, the convention mainly points to the protection and inheritance of local folk culture.

Secondly, judging from the list of intangible cultural heritage published by governments at all levels, they basically have strong local folk characteristics.

Taking the highest-level national intangible cultural heritage list as an example, so far, the country has announced three batches of intangible cultural heritage projects with a total of 1366 items in ten categories.

Among them, there are seven categories that are directly related to local folk customs: 130 items of folk literature, 172 items of folk music, 124 items of folk dance, 125 items of folk art, 159 items of folk customs, 191 items of traditional drama, and 236 items of traditional handicrafts.

There are a total of 1134 projects in these seven categories, accounting for more than 83% of the total number of projects.

The other three categories, a total of 129 items of folk art), a total of 74 items of acrobatics and sports), and a total of 26 items of traditional medicine), also originated from local folk and have strong folk customs and native characteristics.

For example, cross talk, storytelling, and writing in quyi events, overpass wrestling, circus, and archery in acrobatics and competitive events, and Mongolian medicine, Yao medicine, Miao medicine, Dong medicine, etc.

in traditional medicine are all artistic or cultural forms with ethnic regions and communities.

It is true that judging from the various intangible cultural heritage projects currently on the protection list, even if some are named after "folk", they are not purely "peasant" or "local" cultural activities.

For example,"Kunqu Opera and Guqin are of course the elegant art of literati and bureaucrats.

Famous porcelain, famous carving, famous embroidery and the like are basically enjoyed by the rich and aristocrats.

Nanjing Yunjin is simply a tribute dedicated to the emperor...

As for the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and other folk festivals, I'm afraid they are not exclusive activities in rural areas.

Many of them are official sacrifices and celebrations hosted by the government." However, these non-local farmers 'projects account for a very limited proportion in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List, and even famous porcelain, famous carvings, famous embroidery and even brocade, which are specially enjoyed by rich aristocrats and even emperors, are mostly made by rural artists.

Made.

For example, the Jun porcelain specially used by the emperor in the Song Dynasty.

According to our investigation and understanding in Shenzhou, it was also fired by folk artists and then selected by specialized personnel to pay tribute.

Although some folk festivals such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival are official sacrifices and celebrations, the soil from which they are produced is still local folk, and the main body of their activities is still the general public.

Thirdly, from the characteristics of intangible cultural heritage.

When talking about intangible cultural heritage, the terms we can generally associate include original ecology, folk customs, mass foundation, rural land origin, and even rough, vulgar, and vulgar.

These words can be summarized and summarized as the characteristics that distinguish intangible cultural heritage from mainstream culture, elite culture and mass culture: life, mass, and local.

The so-called lifestyle means that most "intangible cultural heritage" are generated and grown up in specific folk life.

They condense the simple customs and attitudes of the public, and are infused with the most authentic survival wisdom and survival in rural areas.

art.

For example, the "Yangko", which integrates song, dance and opera, itself originated from the rural labor life of transplanting rice seedlings and farming fields.

It is also related to the hymns and Rang songs sung in ancient times when offering sacrifices to the god of agriculture to pray for blessings and eliminate disasters.

In the process of development, it has continuously absorbed techniques and forms such as agricultural songs, ring-song, folk martial arts, and acrobatics, thus developing from ordinary Yangko singing to folk carnival-style song and dance performances.

For example, Henan Opera, Qu Opera and other opera forms in Henan, whether in terms of performance form or performance content, are closely related to public life and have a profound heritage of rural folk life.

The so-called mass nature mainly means that the active subjects of intangible cultural heritage are not a small number of elite classes, but the vast number of local people.

Most intangible cultural heritage projects have a broad mass base and are artistic and cultural activities that the public likes and is willing to actively participate in.

For example, in some towns in Henan, people from the elderly to children in Shiliba Village can dance on stilts at any time.

For example, when we were inspecting Yuzhou, Henan Province, we saw with our own eyes every evening, in squares, streets and even in residential areas, groups of drama fans would pull strings and beat drums and start singing.

The singers were intoxicated and worked hard, and the onlookers cheered repeatedly.

The so-called indigenity mainly refers to the close connection between intangible cultural heritage and the local natural environment and social living environment, and are deeply imprinted with local characteristics."It is local characteristics that make folk art show strong individuality and reflect the diversity of culture." Some people think that most intangible cultural heritage projects are rough and relatively "local".

In fact, it is this word "local" that truly demonstrates the personality and value of intangible cultural heritage.

Mr.

Fei Xiaotong once pointed out: "From the grassroots level, China's society is local." To date, rural farmers are still the largest group in China society.

The "soil" here not only refers to the local customs and customs of the countryside, but also refers to the original ecology, and also refers to the diversity of aesthetic tastes.

Only by protecting this "local" nature of intangible cultural heritage can we truly protect the artistic and aesthetic needs of the public, and ensure the true "poetic dwelling" of the people.

To sum up, intangible culture is a culture that is closely connected with rural customs and habits, natural ecological environment and social ecological environment.

It is a culture that embodies rural life attitudes and life art, and it is a kind of mass participation that has accumulated history.

Folk culture.

So, what is the deep connection between this culture and the daily life of the public, especially moral and ethical life? Let's discuss it further.

2.

The deep connection between local customs and moral ethics

People generally believe that morality and ethics are the same concept.

From an etymological perspective, this is true in the West.

Because "'Ethics 'comes from the ancient Greek word' ethos', which means conduct and temperament, customs and habits." Moral 'comes from the Latin' mos ', which means character and custom.

Therefore, morality and ethics have the same etymological meaning in the West.

They both refer to external customs and habits as well as internal character and moral character." From this point of view, in the Western world, moral ethics refer to how people should behave, and these behavioral norms externalize customs, customs, and habits, and internalize into character, character, and moral character.

This not only means that people's moral and ethical behaviors, moral character, character and customs are inherently related, or that people's virtue has the most direct and deepest connection with people's customs and customs.

Aristotle had a special discussion on this in ancient Greece: "Ethical virtue is inherited from customs and habits, so the spelling of the word ethos) was slightly changed to get the name ethike)." In Aristotle's view, virtue is not the first nature, but cultivating virtue first requires a unique natural foundation for mankind.

The nature of tigers and lions is to eat meat.

No matter how patiently you advise them, I am afraid they will not listen to you.

But people are different.

People can form virtue through subtle guidance.

This subtle influence is customs and habits, so Aristotle also said: "Nature gives us the nature of accepting virtue, and this nature needs to be accomplished through habit." We can see that since ancient Greece, the Western world has generally believed that people's behavioral norms, moral ethics, and virtues are directly derived from and are naturally related to customs, folk customs, and habits.

This view has been repeatedly confirmed and deepened by modern and contemporary thinkers such as Adam Simi, Levi Strauss, Marcel Moss, Bourdieu and others.

For example, French thinker Bourdieu drew inspiration from Moss's research on the gift exchange customs of primitive tribes and created the core concept of "habit" in his thoughts.

However, because Bourdieu adheres to the concept of "exploitative concept", he does not have a very clear definition of habit.

We can only summarize the connotation and reference of the word from his actual application and empirical description.

Regarding habits, he once described: "Habits are produced in connection with the living conditions of a specific class, which is a lasting, switchable positional disposition), that is, some structured structures) that tend to play the structural function of promoting structural capabilities), that is, play the role of principles arising from organizational practices and representations that can be objectively adapted to their results, but at the same time can not be premised on conscious planning." This means that "habits" are fixed and modal stable structures accumulated by a specific class in its living environment, which profoundly shapes the behavior and psychology of a specific class.

However, this structure is not static or rigid, but can change the existence of the structure by activities in a certain field, and this change is more often carried out under unconscious habits.

The concept of "habit" plays an important role for Bourdieu.

He used this concept to deeply analyze many customs and etiquette such as rural marriage, childbirth, and gift exchange, and had an important influence in the sociology of France and even the world.

From this, we can also see that customs and folk customs are still closely connected with virtue and character in contemporary times.

In China, the etymological meanings of morality and ethics are somewhat different.

"Shuo Wen Jie Zi" said: "Ethics are generations." In other words,"ethics" in etymology refers to the orderly interpersonal relationship between monarch and minister, father and son, brothers, etc., and refers to the etiquette and customs relationship with ethnic groups and families as the main relationship.

In Shuo Wen,"Li" is interpreted as "governing jade", which is extended to the texture and mechanism of governing and rectifying objects, and then extended to rules and laws.

Then, the original meaning of ethics refers to how people's behavioral relationships conform to behavioral norms and laws.

Looking at "morality" again,"Shuo Wen" explains: "Tao is the way you do it."Extended to norms and laws.

What about "De"? That is,"moral character" and "virtue".

Zhu Xi once interpreted "virtue" as "gain, and those who follow the path and gain it in their hearts." Therefore,"morality" refers to the norm of people's moral character.

Although the etymological meanings of morality and ethics in China are slightly different, both are naturally and deeply related to folk customs.

So, what moral significance and moral value does intangible cultural heritage with local characteristics have in contemporary times?

3.

The contemporary moral value significance of intangible cultural heritage

In our view, intangible cultural heritage has at least the following moral values in contemporary times: as far as moral individuals are concerned, it is related to the reputation and self-confidence of individuals, which can form a strong sense of individual pride and publicize the vitality of individuals; as far as moral collectives are concerned, it is related to the training and education of the collective, which can form a strong sense of collective honor and demonstrate the conscious power of the collective; as far as moral groups are concerned, it is related to the reproduction and belonging of the group, can form a strong sense of ethnic identity, and achieve the core cohesion of the group; As far as the country is concerned, it is related to the fairness and equality of the country and can enhance the happiness of the overwhelming majority of the people, thereby enhancing the country's overall soft power.

To sum up, it is the "four senses and four forces": vitality triggered by pride; regulation power triggered by honor; cohesion triggered by identity; and soft power triggered by happiness.

As far as moral individuals are concerned, individuals participating in intangible cultural heritage projects can obtain emotional compensation and spiritual pleasure from them, and then gain confirmation of self-worth, and ultimately achieve a full and public vitality.

As mentioned above, in the past, when we discussed the value of intangible cultural heritage, we basically stayed at the epistemological level, thinking more about what kind of economic benefits it could bring, what kind of historical reference it could provide us, and what kind of educational significance it could give to people.

However, to focus the discussion on the value of intangible cultural heritage on the above-mentioned items is just a common understanding of modern instrumental rational thinking, but it completely ignores the ontological value of intangible cultural heritage and completely forgets to understand its value from the perspective of the real participants of intangible cultural heritage.

The seventy-year-old man pushed a cart and hummed the local opera; rural women washed clothes and shouted folk songs beside the mountain stream; people celebrated the festival with high spirits on stilts, danced yangko, and danced lions.

It is through these forms and methods that they achieve emotional compensation or catharsis and gain spiritual happiness and pleasure.

Having never personally visited these ceremonies and projects, or witnessed the simple and happy faces with your own eyes, it is impossible to truly appreciate the purest, sincere, and vibrant existence that the local people have gained in these activities.

Joy, and cannot truly understand the existence value of intangible cultural heritage to the local people.

The author has conducted field surveys on intangible cultural heritage many times in Henan.

When we see old folk artists pulling strings and humming clatons leisurely in the sunset, when we see local people banging on large bronze ware and celebrating themselves, when we see Jun porcelain artists polishing the soil embryos without distractions, and when we see the confidence and pride of the inheritors of endangered singing when performing, we will feel deeply moved and shaken, moved by their simplest happiness and shaken by their fullest vitality.

Perhaps, only at that moment were they just strangers with "existence"; or perhaps, only after that kind of enjoyment, were they individuals with complete morality and self-consistent souls, and could they truly achieve the ethical state of harmony between etiquette and music that Saint Confucius called "standing in etiquette, being accomplished in music." In addition, the participation of intangible cultural heritage and the performance of folk art can also enable local people to realize their self-worth and display their life value.

"Performance is a process that artists can demonstrate, and it is also a process in which their personal values are reflected.

My outstanding talents and superb skills have won the general love of the audience.

For an ordinary person, what can be more proud of?"

As far as moral collectives are concerned, intangible cultural activities can produce a kind of self-conscious education for the people participating in them, promote people to achieve a moral situation that "subtle and changes customs", and ultimately form an ethical atmosphere that is free from the sense of oppression and restraint but can be self-regulated.

The contradiction between moral constraints and moral freedom is a paradoxical problem that has so far been difficult to solve in the history of human development: on the one hand, no rules can make a circle.

In order to seek more orderly and better development, mankind must establish a moral code that everyone must follow; on the other hand, any moral code will inevitably bring a certain sense of restraint, which violates the basic human nature that naturally yearns for freedom.

Especially for the local people who are synonymous with "vulgarity","simplicity" and even "barbarism", it seems that it is even more difficult to establish and implement so-called official moral and ethical norms.

So, how can people consciously enter a self-regulated moral and ethical state without making them feel oppressed and bound? How can people naturally become virtuous people in a state of freedom? In fact, literature and art, folk literature and art, and intangible cultural heritage can play a very important role in this, and have always played a role in balancing the above moral paradoxes to a certain extent in human history.

Literature and art have a deep connection with moral ethics, which is beyond doubt in the history of Chinese and Western thoughts and art.

Regardless of Confucius's remarks that were "beautiful but not good", or Plato's attempt to drive the poet out of the Republic with a crown and perfume, when literature and art emerged, the primary concern was not its aesthetic role, but its moral and ethical role.

Take the ancient "music" in China as an example.

Why did it have an important position in ancient China, especially in the pre-Qin period? It is because the sages saw its educational role in cultivating people's ethical virtues, and this kind of education is not a simple boring moral preaching, but a kind of infiltration and infection that shines with spring breeze and moistens things silently.

According to the records of "Shang Shu·Yao Dian", which discussed "music" earlier in ancient times: "The emperor said: 'Kui, ordered you to administer music and teach your sons to be straight and warm, broad and chestnut, strong but not abusive, simple but not arrogant.

Poetry expresses ambition, song always expresses, sound always follows, law and harmony.

The eight tones complement harmony, and there is no conflict between each other, but the gods and gods are harmonious." Kui said: 'Yu! I hit the stone and beat the stone, and all the beasts led the dance.'" This is the harmonious scene of "all animals dancing, and gods and gods harmony" formed by the strong appeal of "music".

Therefore, the ancients said: "Rites and music must be used each other.

Rites cannot be used unless music is not appropriate, and music cannot be used if it is inappropriate." Because of their original ecology, mass nature, and life nature, folk art and intangible cultural heritage have more original vitality and can better demonstrate the true state of life, which can also give local people a sense of moral identity, and in turn generate conscious moral regulation.

As far as moral groups are concerned, the cultural circle formed with intangible cultural heritage projects as the core can generate a strong sense of ethnic identity and belonging, maintain the psychological emotions of the ethnic group, and then form the core cohesion of the ethnic group and provide positive energy for building a harmonious society.

As early as the 1920s, French sociologist Habwah proposed the concept of "collective memory", believing that there are as many collective memories as there are groups and institutions in a society.

These memories are their respective members.

It took a long time to be constructed.

It is the soul and foundation that maintains the continuity and development of groups and institutions.

Ethnic identity is based on these "collective memories" and "common memories", the emotional attachment and belonging of ethnic individuals to the ethnic community.

It is self-evident that identity plays an important role in the existence and development of ethnic groups.

It is not only an important basis for the legitimacy of the ethnic group and society itself, but also the soul that forms lasting centripetal force and appeal.

However, with the disintegration of consanguineous clan society and the disillusionment of religious supremacy, the main methods of ethnic identification in the past, which used blood inheritance and religious beliefs to be used no longer exist."Culture" has become the repository of values such as the judgment of good and evil, and has become the basic home for mankind to preserve their own self and survival.

In modern society,"no ethnic group can exist without culture, and ethnic identity is always expressed through a series of cultural elements.

Ethnic identity is based on cultural identity, so these cultural elements are basically equivalent to objective elements in the process of ethnic formation." As an important part of culture, intangible cultural heritage is deeply rooted in the hearts of people and ethnic individuals.

It is a lifestyle, emotional characteristics, values and thinking formed over a long time by the natural environment, social environment and cultural environment of a specific ethnic group.

way.

Intangible cultural heritage that exists widely among local people, whether it is annual festivals, weddings, funerals, and worship to gods, or oral literature, handicrafts, opera and dance, etc., is formed by the people's long-term experience in the living environment of a specific ethnic group.

It embodies the crystallization of the wisdom and feelings of the ethnic group, is a symbol of maintaining the legitimacy of the ethnic group, and is also the soul that unites the ethnic group together.

In this regard, some domestic scholars once hit the nail on the head: "The intangible cultural heritage of a nation is its unique living memory of the national spirit, an important symbol of cultural identity, and a lifeline that maintains the existence of the nation."

At the national level, the promotion of intangible cultural heritage reflects the country's concern and attention for the cultural and aesthetic needs of all classes, which can enhance the sense of happiness of the overwhelming majority of the people and thereby enhance the country's soft power.

Aristotle said: "Of all the virtues, people regard justice as the most important." For national ethics, justice is also the most important."The so-called justice, fundamentally and mainly speaking, is the most fundamental and important moral principle of social governance and the most fundamental and important moral principle of the social system." In modern society, the state must not only embody fairness in the fields of politics, economy, medical care, etc., but also embody fairness and ensure equality in the cultural field.

Judging from the current distribution of social classes in China, the proportion of the upper class and the middle class is quite limited, and the rural people are still the main body of society.

How can we protect and satisfy the aesthetic and spiritual needs of local people in addition to ensuring that they enjoy more rights in economic and medical aspects? High-ranking officials and dignitaries have "elite culture" and natural elegance, and the middle class has "popular culture" to entertain, but how to ensure the "poetic" life of rural people? The answer is intangible cultural heritage with strong local characteristics.

The implementation of intangible cultural heritage can meet the recreational life and aesthetic needs of the broadest range of people to the greatest extent possible, allowing people to enjoy spiritual civilization while enjoying material civilization, and improving their happiness index.

In addition, the folk ethics and secular ethics brought about by the richness and diversity of folk art and intangible cultural heritage can enrich and supplement national ethics to a certain extent: "1.

It opens up a folk source in addition to the official resources of ethics., diversify and enrich ethical resources, and prevent the phenomenon of the barren and single content of ethical resources caused by the narrow motives and starting points of the official based on the stability of the regime.

2.

Folk art, with its folk characteristics, embodies and reflects the mass standard of ethics and resists the politicization tendency of ethics." The vividness, mass, and originality of intangible cultural heritage pay more attention to the authentic and ethical survival of individuals, thus avoiding the squeeze of collective grand narrative on individuals to a certain extent.

Morality is not preaching, and ethics is not empty talk.

It is an affirmation of the value of each individual's life, a concern for each individual's poetic survival, a concern for the cultivation of each individual's virtue, and a encouragement for each individual's yearning for a better life.

Intangible cultural heritage has such contemporary moral value.

Protecting and promoting it is actually protecting and cherishing our own poetic home of survival.

(This article was published in "Folklore Research", No.

5, 2013.

The annotations are omitted.

See the original issue for details)