On Dong Zhongshu's Aesthetic Thoughts

Dong Zhongshu was the most important Confucian of Han Dynasties and he was the keyman who established the characteristic of the whole Han Dynasties. While based his thoughts on the Confucianism before Qin Dynasty, he also absorbed thoughts of Yinyang and Wuxing and thoughts of other schools. Dong Zhongshu's thoughts emerged with the Caesarism of Han Dynasties and it served the ruling class.The theory of interaction between Heaven and Man is the center of Dong Zhongshu's thoughts. In this theory, the Heaven has two meanings: one is God with moral attribute; the other is Yinyang and Wuxing-oriented nature. The interaction between Heaven and Man in Dong Zhongshu's thoughts is the analogy between Heaven and Man based on the medium of Qi. This theory of interaction between Heaven and Man served the the Central Government of that time, thus this theory basically featured by questions like Political Order, legitimacy of regime, right or wrong of political life. Dong Zhongshu's aesthetics was based on his political thoughts, that is, Dong Zhongshu always considered questions of aesthetics and arts from the polity of Han Dynaties.Dong Zhongshu inherited and developed the thoughts of natural beauty of Confucianism before Qin Dynasty. He expanded the scope of Bi-de of Confucianism before Qin Dynasty, turned Bi-de of Confucianism before Qin Dynasty featured by analogy into Bi-de featured by reasoning; He redefined the concept Zhong-he according to thoughts of Yinyang and Wuxing and discussed aesthetic of preserving man's health in detail; The nature in Dong Zhongshu's thoughts was a metaphorical world which presented us a beautiful world with insights of ontology and dialogue and communion.Dong Zhongshu had ample aesthetic thoughts of Ritual and Music. He thought much of man's appearance and costume and he saw social distinction as the primal function of costume; He also pay much attention to the role of music in empire and society. He united Mencius and Xunzi's aesthetic thoughts of music and turned it into a kind of theory suited for Caesarism. Dong Zhongshu'saw Ritual and Music as a kind of important means of social control.Dong Zhongshu was famous for his study of the Spring and Autumn Annals and he summarized a suit of important theory of hermeneutics. His study of Ci and Zhi of the Spring and Autumn Annals had an important influence on theory of Yin and Xian of Chinese aesthetics and it was part of the development of theory of Yi-jing. Dong Zhongshu's theory of'Poetry has no definite explanation'had an important impact on Chinese aesthetics and poetics and it established the basic character of Chinese hermeneutics.