Abstract: Emotions related to loss are commonly expressed and embodied in aesthetic forms, including both enduring works such as monuments and performances, such as rituals. Xunzi, in his response to Mozi's criticism of grandiose funerals, helps to explain the value of aesthetically elaborate rituals for dealing with the emotions experienced by those who survive the death of a loved one. Xunzi's account also dovetails nicely with the concerns of Robert C. Solomon, who claims that grief, despite appearances to the contrary, is a functional emotion and that grieving is morally obligatory. Aesthetically elaborate rituals provide symbolic satisfaction of the longing for the deceased to be present, give definite shape to emotional expression, help to limit the guilt feelings of survivors, and encourage survivors as they go forward, enabling them to see their further steps as means of honoring the deceased, even in that person's absence.

Key words: action tendencies, funerals, grief, Mozi, ritual, Robert C. Solomon, Xunzi