Li (禮), often rendered as ritual propriety, names the web of proper forms that shape human conduct in Confucian thought. It began with formal rites—ancestral sacrifices, religious ceremonies, and state rituals—but was extended to include manners, etiquette, dress, speech, and gestures in everyday life. In this sense, Li is not a matter of empty formality; it is the patterned expression of respect for relationships, roles, and tradition. It embraces both solemn ceremonies and the smallest courtesies, such as how one greets, sits, eats, or speaks in the presence of others. Through these shared forms, Li becomes the visible structure of an invisible moral order.

At a deeper level, Li is understood as the outward manifestation of inner virtue, especially humaneness (ren) and moral power (de). If ren is the heartfelt disposition, Li is the form that gives it concrete shape in the world. By repeatedly practicing proper conduct—bowing with sincerity, speaking with measured respect, observing mourning rites with appropriate gravity—individuals gradually train their emotions and desires. This habitual discipline cultivates self-restraint, modesty, and a sense of moral responsibility that extends beyond mere compliance with rules. Over time, external observance and internal character are meant to resonate with one another.

Li also organizes social life by clarifying roles and responsibilities within key relationships such as ruler–subject, parent–child, elder–younger, husband–wife, teacher–student, and friend–friend. Each role carries its own appropriate language, posture, and behavior, so that deference, care, and authority are expressed in ways that are intelligible and predictable. This role-based patterning does not simply enforce hierarchy; it offers a structured way to express gratitude, loyalty, filial piety, and mutual respect. In this way, Li strengthens social bonds and allows people to navigate complex relationships without constant recourse to coercion or legal sanction.

Because Li sets shared expectations for conduct, it powerfully shapes the overall atmosphere of a community. Clear norms for interaction reduce friction and confusion, allowing individuals to anticipate how others will act and how they themselves ought to respond. Strong emotions—joy, grief, anger, desire—are not suppressed but channeled into appropriate forms, as seen in wedding rites, mourning practices, and other life-cycle ceremonies. Li thus serves as both a means of moral cultivation and a principle of social organization, transmitting cultural values across generations while fostering harmony through disciplined, respectful behavior.