“文”是西周思想史中极为重要的思想范畴。“文”的本义为人或物之纹饰，在西周时期主要用作对祖先的尊称。西周文献中的“文”不与“武”相对立，而是一个完美的、整全的概念，具有“文德”的文化内涵，与西周思想史的另一重要概念“德”有相近之处。西周时期作为道德概念的“文”由其本义“纹饰”引申而来，相较于“德”更强调整体性的礼乐制度而非个人的作为。春秋战国时期“文”的观念得到发展：“文”与“德”逐渐分化，“德”更加个人化，心性化，而“文”则被神圣化，成为完美的西周礼乐制度的代名词；同时“文质之辨”与文武分途观念开始出现和盛行。

“Wen” is an extremely important ideological concept in the ideological history of the Western Zhou Period. The original meaning of “Wen” in Chinese is the decorations on the human body or other things , and it was mainly used as a respectful title for ancestors in the Western Zhou Period. “Wen” in the Western Zhou Period is not opposed to “Wu” (military), but was a perfect and complete concept, it had the culture meaning of “Wende”（the morality of Wen）, and was similar to another important concept of “De” (morality) in the ideological history of Western Zhou Period. In the Western Zhou Period, “Wen” as a moral concept was derived from its original meaning of decoration. Compared with “De”, it emphasized the overall system of “Liyue” (rites and music) rather than individual behavior., During the Spring and Autumn Period the concept of“Wen”was developed: “Wen” and “De” gradually diverged, while “De” became more personalized and spiritual, “Wen” was sanctified and became a pronoun of the system of “Liyue” of the Western Zhou civilization. Also, the “Debate on the concept of ‘Wen’ and ‘Zhi’ (decoration and essence) ” and the concept of “Wen and Wu” (civil and military affairs) emerged during this period.