The Theme of Virtue in the Book of Songs With Respect to Leadership in the Chou Dynasty

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The Book of Songs – Virtue
The Book of Songs, also referred to as the Classic of Poetry, is the oldest existing and first collection of Chinese poetry, entailing 305 works from the 7th century BC. The Book of Songs is a major repository of Chinese moral values that guide the socio-political elite on the most suitable pursuit, the best legacy to leave behind, and how to guarantee success in leadership endeavors. The collection of over 300 poems on various issues, provenances, and styles provide critical insights into those qualities deemed worthy of a leader in Chinese society. This essay will analyze the theme of virtue as illustrated in the Book of Songs with respect to leadership in the Chou dynasty.
While a significant number of poems in the book do not align with certain aspects of Confucian morality, the values highlighted as worthy of emulating, pursuing, and preserving explain why Confucius placed great emphasis on the study of the Book of Songs, both as a foundation of moral education and as preparation for political life in the courts. The poems are models of the moral heart, especially for those aspiring to the elite socio-political status, and underline the qualities of a good leader, what the relationship between leaders and their subjects ought to be like, how a good leader acts in different spheres of life, and what it means for a leader to strive for lasting fame. The Book of Songs covers the most basic moral and political values of the early Chinese elite and is, therefore, part of the classical curriculum of what it takes and means to be a revered ruler in Chinese history. The book largely encompasses the societal values of the Chou dynasty, which had succeeded in replacing the preceding ruling kingdom, the Shang. The change of power was brought about by King Wu and, to a larger extent, his son and heir, King Wen, who was widely regarded as the founder of the Chou dynasty.
The doctrine of the mandate of Heaven began in the early Chou dynasty and referred to the Chinese Confucian thought that Heaven conferred the right to rule directly upon an emperor. It was believed that the continuation of the mandate was conditioned on the personal ethics of the ruler, who was expected to be both righteous and benevolent. King Wen commands great importance in the Book of Songs since, by his virtuous governance, it was believed that he had won the mandate of Heaven from the corrupt Shang ruling. Not only is he a revered ruler of Zhou, but he is also the paragon of exemplary leadership in the book, and his conduct both as a king and as a person is set as the parameter for judging other Chinese leaders throughout the various poems. King Wen’s strong virtues not only gave him the mandate to rule but also assured his subjects of prosperity: “The charge that Heaven gave/Was solemn, was for ever./And ah, most glorious/King Wen in plenitude of power!/With blessings he has whelmed us;/We need but gather them in./High favours has King Wen vouchsafed to us;/May his descendants hold them fast” (Waley 227).
His exemplary morals did not die with him but formed a standard to be preserved and emulated by later Chou kings. So revered were King Wen’s virtues that the paradigm...