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<p>Oracle bone divination was the principal means for Shang Dynasty rulers to communicate with celestial deities. A divination group led by the Shang Emperors tightly controlled this process, thereby shaping the political, economic, and cultural aspects of the dynasty. From the perspective of&#xa0;human-deities communication, this study analyzes oracle bone inscriptions and related historical materials to explore the social background, communicative mechanisms, and social value of oracle bone divination. It is found that oracle bone divination has undergone three stages—enchantment bestowed by the power of deities, monopoly of Shang Emperors, and translation to the social level. The political-cultural context of “venerating deities and serving spirits” established the communicative role of oracle bone divination. The ruling class structured this communication activity by both participation-rights-based monopoly and processual-based monopoly. Ultimately, divination’s social impact was realized through social guidance, social discipline, and the influence exerted on societal consciousness. By examining oracle bone divination from a&#xa0;human-deities communication&#xa0;lens, this study deepens the existing research on communication in Shang Dynasty and early human societies, contributing to the localization of communication studies within Chinese cultural contexts.</p>

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Beyond “human-deities dialogue”: a study of oracle bone divination in the Shang dynasty from the perspective of human-deities communication

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月7日

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  • Suhong Song,
  • Zhipeng Yang

摘要

Oracle bone divination was the principal means for Shang Dynasty rulers to communicate with celestial deities. A divination group led by the Shang Emperors tightly controlled this process, thereby shaping the political, economic, and cultural aspects of the dynasty. From the perspective of human-deities communication, this study analyzes oracle bone inscriptions and related historical materials to explore the social background, communicative mechanisms, and social value of oracle bone divination. It is found that oracle bone divination has undergone three stages—enchantment bestowed by the power of deities, monopoly of Shang Emperors, and translation to the social level. The political-cultural context of “venerating deities and serving spirits” established the communicative role of oracle bone divination. The ruling class structured this communication activity by both participation-rights-based monopoly and processual-based monopoly. Ultimately, divination’s social impact was realized through social guidance, social discipline, and the influence exerted on societal consciousness. By examining oracle bone divination from a human-deities communication lens, this study deepens the existing research on communication in Shang Dynasty and early human societies, contributing to the localization of communication studies within Chinese cultural contexts.