欧阳修提出的"礼乐为虚名"曾得到历代学者的赞赏,但欧氏立论是三代之后刑政、礼乐分为二途,重礼仪物质形式而轻礼义精神内容,从而达到规劝帝王践履礼义精神的目的。宋代诸儒对此也有很多论述,强调三代之后乃至宋朝刑政、礼乐分为二途是由各种原因导致的,然礼乐为经国安邦之道,对国家长治久安有着极其重要的作用。宋儒对礼之名实的探索是有积极意义的,对后世礼制的发展提供了理论基础与有益启示,对当今社会也有一定的借鉴作用。
Rituals being the name proposed by Ouyang xiu were complimented by scholars of every dynasty. However, Ouyang xiu's judgment was based on the fact that rituals and laws were separated to persuade the emperors to carry out the spirit of rituals after the so-called golden three dynasties. The Confucian scholars in the Song dynasty also discussed on this judgment a lot. They emphasized that the regulating and driving function rituals could have on the counties no matter how many reasons for the separation between rituals and laws. Their discussions provided beneficial enlightenments and theoretical basis for the development of rituals in late dynasties, which could also have a certain reference for present society.