《礼记·表记》
周人尊崇礼法，贵尚施惠，虽然敬奉鬼神但却不把它当作政教的内容，接近人情而忠诚，它的赏罚办法既不同于夏，又不同于殷，唯以爵位的高低作为轻重的标准，所以他们的政教可亲而不可尊；到了政教衰败的时候，它的百姓就变得贪利而取巧，花言巧语而大言不惭，互相残害，互相欺骗。 
周人尊礼尚施，事鬼敬神而远之，近人而忠焉，其赏罚用爵列，亲而不尊；其民之敝：利而巧，文而不惭，贼而蔽。 
The Zhou people venerated ritual, and valued extending kindness. While they worshipped ghosts and spirits they did not regard it as forming part of their religious teachings. They were approachable and loyal, and their system of rewards and punishments differed from both the Xia and the Yin, using only the rank of the title to determine its importance. Thus their political teachings could be dear but not venerable. When its political teachings declined, its people became greedy and cunning, glib and boastful, mutually harmful and mutually deceptive. 