Zhuangzi Aesthetic Experience

The dissertation not only studies the whole internal system of Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience, such as the starting points of the aesthetic experience, the means acquiring the aesthetic experience, the characteristics when the aesthetic experience takes on and the grounds of the aesthetic experience, but also reveals the external effects, such as historical and realistic significances of Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience.In introduction, the dissertation explains the title of the thesis, and shows the significances of the thesis.As to "what is Zhuangzi", based on a relatively reliable consideration, the dissertation regards Zhuangzi as the author or authors of Zhuangzi. As to "what is the aesthetic experience", the dissertation regards the aesthetic experience as an apperception of individuals to life. For Zhuangzi, the significance of life is based on Tao. Hence, Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience is an experience towards Tao.The main learned significances of the dissertation are as follows: above all, the dissertation is the first systemic research on Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience. In addition, the case study on Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience can help us survey and modify the current aesthetic theories. The main realistic significance of the dissertation lies in the fact that the research can contribute to relieve sufferings, to remedy the tool reason and to understand the Chinese traditional arts.In chapter one, the dissertation proves into the starting point of Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience which is "treasuring life" and "obeying destiny".Zhuangzi treasures the quality and spirit of life more than the length and body of life. For Zhuangzi, life is the most important value. One could not possess life carrier to realize aesthetic experience, could not clear away psychological obstacles for realization of the aesthetic experience, and could not thoroughly achieve the entire social happiness, until one treasures one's life. In order to avoid unnatural death in troublous times, Zhuangzi designed two strategies: one is "being useless"; the other is "winding through spaces".The destiny obeyed by Zhuangzi means something beyond the individual's ability. Zhuangzi holds that obeying destiny can relieve the sufferings of death, the sufferings of mundane desire, and the sufferings of immorality. Zhuangzi's emphasis on obeying destiny is to realize the freedom of life. One could not release oneself from psychological sufferings, could not drive mundane desire out of one's thought, and could not prepare for realization of aesthetic experience, until one obeys destiny. In chapter two, the dissertation proves into the means acquiring Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience. The realization of aesthetic experience depends on a method named "emptiness"; "wandering in the world" is the indispensable step from preparation to essence.Zhuangzi disagrees to forsake the world or save the world, but advocates wandering in the world. Wandering in the world is a living attitude of conforming to the society but not losing oneself. "Conforming to the society" guarantees the realization of aesthetic experience externally, and "not losing oneself ensures the realization of aesthetic experience psychologically.A method named "emptiness" leads one to show one's nature and apprehend Tao by means of forgetting or forsaking sensory activities, physiological desires, ever-longlived consciousness, morality, emotional fluctuation, intellectual activities and individual prejudices.In chapter three, the dissertation proves into the characteristics when Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience takes on. The aesthetic experience has three characteristics: the first is "greatest happiness"; the second is "carefree wandering"; the third is "being kind with others".The aesthetic experience of the "greatest happiness" has three features: the first is "none-happiness", that is an absolute and eternal happy feeling beyond common sadness and happiness; the second is "peace", which means serene, calm, clear and smooth spiritual status; the third is "self-comfort", which regards true self-satisfaction as the ultimate and eternal spiritual enjoyment.The meanings of "carefree" and "wandering" both point towards freedom. The aesthetic experience of the "carefree wandering" is absolute spiritual freedom. One in the free status can acquire a glorious feeling and an independent feeling."Being kind with others" is an aesthetic experience arising from harmonious relationship between the object and the subject, whose feature is harmonious and cheerful feeling. On the one hand, one can acquire harmonious feeling when one conforms to others naturally; on the other hand, one can acquire cheerful feeling when one believes oneself and others are identical and intimate.In chapter four, the dissertation explains the grounds of Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience. In order to reveal the grounds, we should explain the terms "Tao" and "Heaven" at first."Tao" means the root of the world. This includes tow meanings: one is the root in the viewpoint of time, that is to say Tao is the power creating the world; the other is the root in the viewpoint of logic, that is to say Tao is the basis on which the world exists. Tao as the root mainly has six features: creativity, identity, nature, none-object; originality and reality."Nature" is the most important meaning of "Heaven". When as a term, "Nature" equals "Tao" as the basis on which the world exists. On the one hand, Zhuangzi thinks that nature and human are opposite; on the other hand, Zhuangzi holds that nature and human are identical; the secrets lie in the fact that human being is a special species.Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience is an experience towards original life, which not only means one returns his nature, but also means one return the original relationship between oneself and the world. Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience points towards reality, and includes the primitive goodness, that is to say Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience embodies the combination of realtiy, virtue and beauty.In chapter five, the dissertation reveals significances of Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience.The obvious contribution of thoughts on Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience is having constructed the spirits of Chinese traditional arts. The starting points of the aestheticexperience--"treasuring life" and "obeying destiny", and the indispensable step frompreparation to essence--"wandering in the world" is the living attitude of manyliterators. The mean acquiring the aesthetic experience-- a method named"emptiness" is the psychological condition on which many literators create arts. Thecharacteristics when the aesthetic experience takes on--"greatest happiness","carefree wandering" and "being kind with others" are experiences described by manyliterators. The grounds of the aesthetic experience--the realm of "Tao" and "Heaven"is the same with the supreme realm in many literators' mind.The living problem Zhuangzi commits himself to solve--how to get rid ofsufferings and possess happiness is a problem everyone is bound to confront. The enlightenments of the thoughts on Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience are as follows: firstly, Zhuangzi lays a reasonable foundation for desire of individuals for happiness. Secondly, Zhuangzi imparts three means to possess happiness. Lastly, Zhuangzi holds that one need to get well along with the whole world in order to possess happiness. The harms of the thoughts on Zhuangzi's aesthetic experience are as follows: firstly, Zhuangzi's compromise with evils that could be restrained threatens happiness of individuals. Secondly, Zhuangzi only can release people from sufferings, but can not save people from sufferings.