古今论者多认为“礼起源于祭祀”。其说值得商榷。礼的本质“贵贱有等 ,长幼有差”,是区别等级 ,强调差异 ,由差别而产生贱者、幼者对贵者、长者的敬意。礼的起源即是人类社会“贵贱有等 ,长幼有差”的行为规范的起源。人类社会最初的等级差别就是体现在饮食分配上的差别。“礼始诸饮食”。动物学、史学、文字学为其提供了有力的佐证。祭祀鬼神之礼源于敬人之礼 ,是敬人之礼的翻版 Most of the ancient and modern scholars think that “the courtesy originates from worship.” It is debatable. The essence of the ceremony is that “there is a fair price for you, there is a difference between the elders and the elders.” It is a difference between grades. Emphasis is placed on differences. The origin of ceremonies is the origin of the code of conduct of human society that “there is such thing as cheapness and longitude, and the difference between young and old.” The first difference in human society is the difference in diet distribution. “Ceremony began all diet.” Zoology, history, philology provides a strong evidence. Sacrificial ghost of the gift from the ceremony of respect for people, is a respectable ceremony of the pirated version