Towards The Altar Of The Road

This paper is on the theory of literature and art of Philo's and Plotinus' human nature and divine nature as well as the scientific principle turning of the Western literary theory from the ancient Greek human nature to that of the Middle Ages in order to meet the relative deficiency of the domestic research in this field. It is composed of nine parts. Introduction defines "the human nature" and "the divine" and states the scholar history of this problem, the innovation and writing plan of the paper. Chapter one expounds the ancient Greek literary theory of the human and divine nature. Chapter two states the unique background and path of the turning of the Western literary theory. Chapter three explores Philo's and Plotinus' divine nature thought as well as its' influence and infiltration to their theory of literature and art. Chapter four expounds the theory of the essence of literature and art of the human and divine nature of them. Philo's point is that the God is the creator of literature and art; the art there is the source of the one here; the art there is superior to the one here; art submits itself to the rule of philosophy. Plotinus' point includes the artistry of the Good, the Intellect and the Soul and the point that the art here originates in the one there. Chapter five elaborates the theory of the creation of literature and art of the human and divine nature of them. Philo's point is that the God creates the world as an artist. Plotinus' one is that the Intellect, as a maker and craftsman, creates artistic work altogether with the Soul and art makes beautiful works according to the Form. Chapter six states the theory of the appreciation and function of literature and art of the human and divine nature of them. Their divine theory of the appreciation is that we can infer the God from everything before our eyes, then enjoy and be enchanted with their author, the God's own ingenuity. Philo's divine theory of function is that literature and art should praise the God's holiness and perfection absolutely and the one profaning the God should be condemned severely. The final chapter explores their theory of beauty of the human and divine nature. Philo's point is that beauty is closely related to the God; beauty lies in the divine numbers; beauty lies in the heaven. In Plotinus' opinion, beauty lies in there; the beauty there is the origin of beauties; it is the greatest realm of appreciation of the beauty to contemplate the beauty there. In the end it reveals the developing thread of the development of the literary theory of the ancient Greek times toward the Middle Ages from the human nature to the divine and reaches the conclusion that Philo's and Plotinus' divine theory of literature and art inherited and developed that of the ancient Greece and was the important step and key link in the coarse of the turning of the literary theory from the ancient Greek times' human nature to the Middle Ages' divine nature.