關於「禮」的起源，學術界已經作了許多討論，然而迄今沒有普遍接受的定論。從文字學研究進路著手的學者，雖然對於「禮」字是從「示」從「豊」還是從「示」從「乙」有著不同的看法，但大都認為「禮」的起源為「祭祀」 ；而在《禮記‧禮運》中，孔子也強調以飲食來「致其敬於鬼神」的祭祀禮儀，實為「禮」的起源。另一方面，從人類學研究進路著手的論著，則普遍強調「禮」凝聚社會成員、維持國家秩序的政治社會功能，因此它們多半從政治權力的集中和國家的形成來討論「禮」的起源，並且將其與父權制家庭以及國家的最終形成結合在一起；而孔子在《禮記‧禮運》中，也同樣肯定「禮」在中國歷史上的最終確立，是與政治權力的集中、統治階級的出現和國家的形成密切相關的，同時也強調其功能首先在於維持社會秩序的政治功能。 《禮記》中還有認為「禮」始於婚禮的看法，認為對性關係作出嚴格規範的婚姻制度，是使得人類家族倫理及由此而衍生的社會結構得以建立的關鍵，因此也是禮──廣義的社會秩序──的起源。

There has been a broad discussion among scholars about the origin of
rituals (li 禮), but so far no consensus has been reached. On one hand,
most of the scholars who start from the character li agree that li originates in the context of sacrifice, although the etymology of the character is contended. And in the chapter liyun of the Liji, Confucius also emphasizes that offering food to show respect to the gods is the
beginning of li. On the other hand, the function of rituals is seen by some other scholars in the solidarity it creates within society from an
anthropological point of view, thus they discuss the origin of li from the perspective of the concentration of political power and the formation of patriarchal societies and nations, to which Confucius also points out in the chapter liyun of the Liji that the final establishment of li is closely related. In addition, there is another opinion in the Liji states that li originates in the marriage rituals, as the strict regulation between the two sexes is the basis for family ethics and societies based on it, therefore it is also the origin of li – the social order.