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A Study On The Natural Aesthetic Concept Of Wei And Jin Dynasties

Posted on:2017-03-20Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:C J GuanFull Text:PDF
GTID:1105330488993960Subject:Literature and art
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Nature is both a traditional Chinese philosophy category and an aesthetic category reflecting Chinese art spirit. From the Qin Dynasty to Wei and Jin Dynasties, nature always has a variety of meanings and multiple interpretations. The view of Nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties not only have metaphysical and transcendent quality, which embodies "the Dao of Nature" that is in-itself and for-itself. but also have physical and sensitive characteristics, which indicates an entity of the universe or man’s nature disposition. The complex implications of the views of nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties are related to the abstractness of ontological quality with Dao, the objectivity of nature and the rationality of human sensitive appetite. It extend to all aspects of social life such as Politics. Ethics, Culture etc., infiltrate into Aesthetics, Literary and Art areas, and contribute to the transformation and popularity of natural aesthetic concepts in this period.The first chapter discusses the meaning and the theoretical representation of the nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties. Nature is regarded as prototype and core of traditional Chinese aesthetics category. The meaning of it is exceptionally rich. The theoretical representation of the nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties is focused on metaphysics that build up multiple dimensions of the nature by its unique speculative qualities, which laid the theoretical foundation from a philosophical category to aesthetic category. On one hand, there are three levels of meaning about nature, such as Imitation of Nature, Natural Humanity, and the Harmony between man and nature. They are the theoretical generalization, which cover the basic connotation of nature. On the other hand the theoretical representation of the nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties can be included in three aspects:Wuwei(doing-nothing) and Nature. Duhua and Nature, Mingjiao and Nature. "Wu" is approved by Wang Bi, whose Wuwei to Nature theory is a new point of view that is not only the inherent quality of matter, but also the objective laws. Guo Xiang praises "You" highly. His Duhua to Nature theory constructs a new form of the view of Nature, which reflects the unity of "Zisheng" and "Zixing" and the unity of "Chance" and "Necessity". Wang Bi and Guo Xiang think that Mingjiao(ethical code) and Nature are compatible and identical with their substance-function philosophy. Ji Kang and Ruan Ji pay attention to Nature rather than Mingjiao, they deny the feudal ethics system but promote the value and significance of the individual, which is based on principle of "exceed Confucian ethical codes to natural". It plays an important role in promoting the formation of the views of natural aesthetics in Wei and Jin Dynasties.The second chapter analyzes the important role of the view of Nature to construct aesthetic subject. There is close relationship between the views of nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties and the construction of aesthetic subject. The material level of the nature highlights human’s emotion and desire, which contributes to the awakening of aesthetic sense; the metaphysical level of the nature enhances people’s transcendent quality to the "Dao", which is represented as the pursuit of ideal personality and the spiritual realm. First of all, the theory of Human Nature fully affirms the rationality of human’s emotion and desire. Scholars in this period are passionately devoted to each other and deeply immersed in emotion and desire, which promotes the awakening of subject consciousness and bring about the change of aesthetic taste. In the second place, Taoist view of Nature believes that only the saint can reach the natural way, thus presenting the highest level of personal cultivation, which is the basis for Wang Bi’s viewpoint of "Sage Experiences Wu", that indicates the natural personality characteristics of saint who is in line with the way of Daoism. Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu toke saint as the ideal of personality beauty, while the scholars in Wei and Jin Dynasties applied the ideal to life practice, and depicted a series of perfect images of personality. In the third place, the prevalence of "Evaluation of Characters" brings about a trend and fashion to appreciate the beauty of personality. The emergence and use of these categories, which are used to judge people such as Qing, Dan, Zhen and so on, are closely linked with the nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties. We can know the construction path of aesthetic subject, by combing the process of derivation and development of these categories.The third chapter discusses the relationship between nature and aesthetic object. Natural landscape is accepted and appreciated by people as an independent aesthetic object in Wei and Jin Dynasties, which resulted in the rise of landscape aesthetics. The Scholars in Wei and Jin Dynasties visualized the metaphysics of the Dao of Nature into natural landscape. They took the landscape as housing spaces in pursuit of spiritual transcendence, and created a rich and splendid landscape aesthetic culture. Firstly, analysis of nature as the theoretical basis of aesthetic object. The substantive sense of nature was developed in the Pre-Qin. Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, and officially established in Wei. Jin Dynasties, thus Nature referred to the objective existence of the world, which was a new development of natural significance. The separation and reunion between Heaven and Nature which have characteristic of isomorphism, made the natural landscape turned into an aesthetic object that could be appreciated and contemplated by people; Secondly, analysis the change of natural aesthetic concept has undergone changes from Bi-de(metaphorical virtue) to Chang-shen(joyful spirit) theory. Bi-de theory is an analogy comparing the natural landscape with social ethics, which focuses on the moral quality reflected by landscape as the aesthetic object. In order to seek pleasure and entirely free of spirit. Chang-shen theory emphasizes the appreciation of the natural landscape with aesthetic spirit. Thirdly, the Chinese traditional aesthetic method of landscape is Guan-wu(observation) and You-wu(excursion). Guan-wu focuses on the static aesthetic contemplation, while You-wu focuses on the dynamic aesthetic experience, both of them make up landscape aesthetic methods which have Chinese characteristics.The fourth chapter examines the aesthetic lifestyle under the influence of the nature. The Dao of Nature not only points to the transcendent ontology of Dao, but also refers to the spiritual world of man which turns into an aesthetic attitude and lifestyle when it concerns person’s spirituality, and falls into people’s daily life. To begin with, the scholars in Wei and Jin Dynasties who quietly observe and understand the significance of life by the way of Nature face life with aesthetic state of minds. The methods of keeping Xujing(void-quietness) have been applied to Health-Preservation, which become a way to keep body well. Suppressing desire and conserving spirit is the key to Health-Preservation. Guoxiang aim for "saint" and desire to reach the transcendent realm of life by the traditional way, while Ji kang and Ruan Ji advocated the immortals of Taoism, they expected to achieve the purpose of immortality and apotheosis by taking food and studying Taoism. Next, the scholars in Wei and Jin Dynasties paid more attention to Nature rather than Ming Jiao, which embodied the prevalence of "Da". "Da" started from the core of metaphysics, represented the unconventional and unrestrained behavior and lifestyle,which changed the fashion of scholars in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and contributed to artistic and aesthetic life of scholars. In the third place, different from Ruan Ji and Ji Kang’s "the Old View of Nature". Tao Yuanming put forward "the New View of Nature", which did not recognize the unconventional and unrestrained behavior, nor sought for the way of Health-Preservation, while stood for "trust in the truth" and "be contented in poverty", devoted to return countryside. He enjoyed the life’s interest of "Zong Lang Da Hua" by the close interaction with nature.The fifth chapter explores that the view of Nature has great influence on literature and art. Under the influence of the views of nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties, nature has become an important category of literary theory and aesthetic category, which not only emerged and used in the works of literary and artistic theory during this period, but also became a basic criterion for literary creation. Firstly, the literary view of Nature embodied in Liu Hsieh and Zhong Rong’s literary theory works in this period, "Wen Xin Diao Long"(The Literary Mind and The Carving of Dragons) study literature by the Dao of Nature, which preliminarily construct a theoretical system of the Literary Nature theory, including literary ontology, style, creation, content and form, etc. "Shi Pin" comment the artistic value and aesthetic characteristics of the literary works by the standard of the Yingzhi to Nature, which emphasizes the real emotional, rhythm smooth, clear style. Secondly, nature appeared in large numbers and widely used in art theory, Gu Kaizhi’s view of Nature is reflected in the new understanding about the relationship between form and spirit, he thought that spirit is the core element and weight over form. Ruan Ji and Ji Kang considered that nature is the ontology of music and the aesthetic experience is Peace. Thirdly, Wu Wei is one of the important connotations of nature. The view of Nature in creation is formed when the concept of Wuwei is applied to literary and artistic creation, which embodies in two aspects:No Intention of Creation and Form Skill to Dao. The view of Nature in literary and artistic creation have been respected for the ages, which produces far-reaching effects.The conclusion summarizes the context of the full text. This paper redefines the three levels of natural connotation, summarizes three kinds of theories of the nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties, and determines the theoretical basis of the nature transforming from the philosophy category to aesthetic category by the innovation of research ideas. It is comprehensive for the nature to influence on aesthetic conceptions in Wei and Jin Dynasties, which cover all aspects such as the subject, object, life, art, etc. From the unique perspective of nature, we can effectively expand the content and visual threshold of research, thus break ideas and methods of traditional aesthetics. Finally, this paper notes that there have many commons in terms of concept, scope and presentation methods between modern aesthetic theories with the view of Nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties which relates to the consciousness of body awareness, establishment of aesthetic personality, and germination of ecological aesthetics. It has great important reference value and enlightening significance for current aesthetic research by investigating the generation paths and deep meanings of the view of Nature in Wei and Jin Dynasties.
Keywords/Search Tags:Wei and Jin Dynasties, Nature, The view of Nature, Aesthetic ideas
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