On The “Qi” Aesthetic Category's Generalization And Maturity In The Wei, Jin,Southern And Northern Dynasties

“Qi” is one of the most fundamental and important categories in the theory of Chinese traditional philosophy, which is not only involved in the nature and world, society and life, but also related to the life spirit of the subject. From the pre-Qin days to the Two Hans(the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties), the category of Qi is either the source material of the universe, as well as the origin of the nature, the life and spirit of Man; or becomes the “noble Qi” after penetrating into the field of the morals. However, it is in the Wei Jin Southern and Northern Dynasties when “Qi” belongs in the field of aesthetics in actuality.This article makes investigations into the main factors influencing the category of Qi during this period, reveals the process while Qi's extension into the various theories of the arts such as literature, painting or drawing, calligraphy, music, then analyses the category group of Qi including “the Qi of the will”, “the Qi of the spirit”, “the Qi of the diction”, “the vigorous Qi”, “the harmonious Qi”, “spirit-resonance”, “Qi and power”, and their aesthetic characters, eventually confirms the Qi's transition from the philosophical category to the aesthetic one and it's maturity. The article summarizes three theory cores: First, Qi is the yuan areas, life spirit is the aesthetic aspects of the core group; Second, Qi esthetic category group is formed by a Serializing characteristic of category group; Third, Qi aesthetic category started in Cao Pi's Wen Qi, and the maturity period of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties generalization phase.The final chapter of The article Summaries the Qi esthetic category group's esthetics characteristic, and confirmed the tremendous significance of the mature because of the Qi aesthetic category's generalization. Even to say, it is the category of Qi bound-breaking between the theories of the arts and the enriching and lifting of its aesthetic meanings which put the aesthetic category of Qi forward into maturity.