在先秦的文獻典籍中，「身」與「體」多分別使用，彼此相關，卻有不同之修養工夫及實踐功能。《禮記》文本中出現「身」與「體」次數之多，為先秦儒家諸經典之最，且涵蓋面包括外在形軀，以及內在心靈等各層面，可謂先秦儒家「身體觀」及「身體美學」集大成之經典。本文從三方面論述《禮記》的身體美學：首先，從踐禮的社會化身體美，歸納《禮記》文本中有大體、容體、遺體等重要概念，以此探究身體與社會禮制之關係；其次，從威儀的生活化身體美，歸納文本中有養身、美身、敬身等現象，以此考察禮義的身體，具有何種樣態的生活美感；最後，從涵德的藝術化身體美，歸納文本中有脩身、澡身、成身等德行實踐，以此追索欲達致理想的、美善的身體之工夫歷程。從「即身涵德」、「生活威儀」、「以體踐禮」三方面的身體美學理論分析，可歸納出《禮記》所要展現之理想身體，乃是以至誠脩身、以禮樂成身的藝術化身體，其所展演的美感樣貌，則為參贊天地、化育萬物的「中和之美」境界

The terms ＂the lived body＂ and ＂embodiment＂ frequently appearing in the Pre-Qin texts are mostly used respectively and are correlative with each other but with different moral cultivation and practical functions. The number of times the two terms appearing in Liji (The Book of Rites) tops among these Pre-Qin Confucian classics. Liji is a great classic on ＂the concept of body＂ and ＂body aesthetics＂ of the Pre-Qin Confucian School with its aspects covering the external form and the inner mind and soul. On the basis of the socialized body aesthetics of practicing rites, the essay generalizes the important concepts of dati (the great body), rongti (the deportment of the body) and yiti (the bequeathed body) in Liji to delve into the correlations of body with social ritual institutions. The external deportment of body aesthetics in everyday life concludes that the appearance of cultivating the body, beautifying the body and revering the body in Liji to investigate into what patterns of aesthetics in life that the body of proprietary justice has. Finally, on the basis of artistic body aesthetics of virtue cultivation, the essay concludes the practice of moral conduct in self-cultivation, bathing body in virtue and consummating the lived body in Liji to explore the concept of an ideal, graceful body. A theoretical analysis of the body aesthetics based on virtue cultivation in the lived body, external deportment in life and ritual practice with embodiment concludes that the ideal body presented in Liji is an artistic body of self-cultivation by means of utmost sincerity and consummating the lived body with ritual music that the aesthetical look presented manifests the realm of ＂central harmony＂ to assist in the transforming and nourishing process of heaven and earth and cultivate God's creation