The "classic of poetry" as a source of Confucian dogmatic argumentation

The Confucian model of argumentation has been virtually constant for centuries, and one of its key techniques was the method of «dogmatic argumentation» (the way of argumentation, when canonical texts of tradition are used as an argument in a text or in oral discussion). On the functional-semantic type of speech, most of Confucian writings can be defined as «reasoning». It is evident from the lexical and grammatical means and causal semantics, i.e. texts have a well-reasoned nature. In particular, this is reflected in the sequence of sentences, which are logically related with each other. However, quotation of a canonical text, which is so widespread in Confucianism, cannot be called a logical argument. This fact caused suspicions that quotations were used quite randomly and only for making a text more elegant. According to statistics, the «Classic of poetry» («Shi jing») is quoted in various Confucian writings more often than any other texts (canonical and non-canonical). Therefore, we considered a number of Confucian writings and analyzed different cases of quotation. Firstly, quotations in the canonical texts («Daxue», «Zhong yong», «Xiao jing») and in the treatises, imitating the style of the canons («Zhong jing») were analyzed. Secondly, cases of quoting the canon in discussions, talks and speeches, i. e. the works, which more or less accurately reproduce the oral speech («Han Shi waizhuan», «Yan tie lun», «Shuo yuan», «Xunzi», «Menzi»). Thirdly, their functions in ritual texts, such as «Yi li», which also contains a number of performances of songs and odes from the «Classic of poetry». In case of that quotations in all the writings stated above are different and can be roughly defined as explanatory, argumentative (or summarizing). As a result of the study, it was found that none of the texts make use of quotations randomly. The author’s reasoning and quoting in most cases are closely related on the lexical and semantic levels. Making a comparison between the context of reasoning and the context not only of a quoted fragment, but the whole song to which a fragment refers, allows us to prove that quotations were selected and inserted in the text after careful consideration. Quotations as «dogmatic arguments» are not obvious conclusions from the reasoning and they do not need a rational proof. They were used for organizing the semantic elements of the text, but, nevertheless, quotations always remained symbolic, an alien object in a text. In most cases, to understand a purpose of quotation we need to know the metaphorical interpretation of a song quoted and only in this case it is possible to understand the logic of Confucian reasoning and argumentation. On this principle, we conclude that the relation between the text and the quote is symbolic, but never arbitrary or random. Furthermore, on the basis of the analysis, it became possible to specify the Confucian principles of quoting the «Classic of poetry». In general, there were four functions of a quote in a text, it is an explanation of important concepts; appealing to events (or a person) of the past; giving a metaphorical example; providing a new topic for reasoning.