《中庸》原是《礼记》中的一篇。《礼记》是古代一部重要的汉民族典章制度书籍。为战国时子思作。全篇以“中庸”作为最高的道德准则和自然法律。宋代把它与《大学》、《论语》、《孟子》并列为“四书”。中庸之道亦被古人称为中道或中和之道。(Doctrine of the Mean used to be part of the Classic of Rites,a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty,written by Zisi in the Period of Warring States.It upholds the doctrine of the Mean as the highest moral and natural principle.In Song dynasty, it became part of the Confucian Four Books, along with the Great Learning, the Analects and Mencius.Doctrine of the Mean was also referred to as the Middle Way or Constant Mean.)