The Study Of Zhou Dun-yi's Neo-Confucian Aesthetic Thought

As the initiator of neo-Confucianism, Zhou Dun-yi had constructed theoretical system which not only had initiating significance to neo-Confucianism in Song and Ming Dynasties but also established a basis of aesthetic theory in Song and the later periods. Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian aesthetic thought fuses and renovates Confucian aesthetics, Daoism aesthetics and Buddhism aesthetics, which has explained basis aesthetic questions from the perspective of philosophy and develops Chinese aesthetic spirit. The dissertation's purpose is expounding the aesthetic feature of Zhou's neo-Confucian thoughts: the aesthetics of mediation, motion & still, harmony of Taiji based on Zhou's idea of Taiji, it interprets personality of gentleman and realm of sages; it analyses aesthetic connotation of "writings are for conveying truth".This dissertation is composed of six parts in which there are four chapters in the main body. Its intention is interpreting Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian thought from the angle of aesthetics, and analyzing his literary thought under the influence of neo-Confucian thought in detail.The Introduction introduces relevant materials about Zhou Dun-yi and discriminates basic concepts such as neo-Confucian, neo-Confucian aesthetics to start the dissertation. It gives relevant cognition on the study of Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian aesthetic thought, and analyses deeply its feasibility. Firstly, it introduces the important position of Zhou Dun-yi in the history of neo-Confucianism through all his life and estimation of descendants about his thoughts in order to indicate the train of thought of the dissertation. Secondly, it supplies argument basis for the main body by clarifying the feasibility of the study of Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian aesthetics. At the same time, it expounds the study angle of neo-Confucian aesthetics in the dissertation. In a short, the Introduction demonstrates the study's feasibility, necessity and significance.The first chapter analyses Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian system in which Taiji and honesty are the noumenon in order to give philosophical basis and logic. First part is the analysis of Tao of heaven using Taiji as the core category. Zhou Dun-yi inherited Xi Ci and Zhuang Zi's thought of Taiji in order to define its substantial position in his philosophy system. Second part is the analysis of humane Tao whose noumenon is honesty. Zhou Dun-yi applied Zhou Yi's mode of thinking to the argumentation of Mencius' honesty and detailed clarification of the way of becoming sages from scholar to worthy person; then from worthy person to sages. The intention of carding Zhou's neo-Confucian system as a whole is to highlight the character of his thought system established on the harmony between nature and human beings. The logic of research from Tao of heaven to humane Tao in the chapter gives basic structure. The aesthetics of Taiji comes from interpreting Tao of heaven from aesthetic angle, and personality of gentleman and realm of sages comes from expounding aesthetic connotation of humane Tao.The second chapter interprets aesthetic thought embodied in Tao of heaven. Taiji is not only the core category of Zhou's thought system, but also the important concept of his neo-Confucian aesthetic thought. From the aesthetic angle, Taiji is life noumenon full of vigor. Indefinite creativity in the process of Taiji producing everything develops life consciousness in Chinese ancient aesthetics. Firstly, this chapter analyses Taiji's aesthetics of mediation which amalgamates aesthetics of circle in Chinese ancient aesthetics and aesthetics of perfect syncretism in Buddhist culture. Secondly, it interprets Taiji's aesthetics of motion & still based on idea of motion & still, which shows Taiji in free existent fettle. Thirdly, it analyses aesthetics of harmony of heaven, earth and human beings based on amalgamation of Taiji and Renji. In a short, the aesthetics of Taiji embodies the feature of perfect syncretism in Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian aesthetics.The third chapter analyses personality of gentleman and realm of sages of Zhou's neo-Confucian theory in terms of beauty of personality. Zhou's theory laid a strong emphasis on the humane Tao, aiming to provide basis for people's moral cultivation. Based on this feature, the chapter interprets beauty of personality of Zhou's neo-Confucian aesthetic thought from two aspects. Firstly, it discusses personality of gentleman in his theory and Ai Lian Shuo. The thought of full of Tao to settle life is major thing for gentleman. Different from the mad and the hermit, gentleman is pleased in poverty and delight in Tao. Personality of gentleman is vigorous and neutral based on this idea of life. At the same time, the chapter analyses the noble and plain personality of gentleman which is represented by the contrast between lotus and peony. His essay Ai Lian Shuo, Zhuo Fu and his idea of gentleman are each other's exterior and interior to represent beauty of personality of gentleman. Secondly, Zhou Dun-yi proposed the concept of Confucius and Hui's cheerfulness based on Confucianism and Hui thought. The chapter interprets aesthetic connotation of Confucianism and Hui's cheerfulness from two aspects: one is the realm being pleased in poverty and delight in Tao; the other is the realm to participating in the generating things of heaven and earth, which transcends personal pleasure in morality. In short, the realm of sages and personality of gentleman supplement with each other, which perfects Zhou's personality aesthetics.The fourth chapter interprets Zhou's conception of literature and art by discriminating the relations between Image and Idea, Essay and Tao, Yue and Rites. Firstly, it puts emphasis on Image and Idea of the Taiji Diagram in order to interpret its aesthetics by that of mediation, simplicity, moving symmetry. Secondly, in the idea of "writings are for conveying truth", Tao is the substance of his conception of literature and art. Zhou puts Essay into his theory and contact it with Tao, which provides theory foundation and wide ken for literary thought under neo-Confucian in Song and Ming dynasties. Zhou's literary creation practiced his view. His poverties and essays not only show his idea by describing his experience and feelings, but also have the same style with the principle of his theory. Thirdly, Zhou Dun-yi maintains that Li is earlier than Yue. Based on the view, he put emphasis on Yue which was declining at that time. The contrast between ancient Yue and new Yue puts Yue political teaching function in a prominent position and then he proposed the political view that was changing new Yue to ancient Yue. At the same time, he interpreted the aesthetic ideal of mean and harmony. In a short, Zhou's conception of literature and art is the direct presentation of his neo-Confucian aesthetic thought.The Further Discussion interprets the position of Zhou Dun-yi's neo-Confucian aesthetic thought in Chinese ancient aesthetics and its revelation to the construction of modem times aesthetics. It is important link in the history of Chinese ancient aesthetics because it initiated neo-Confucian aesthetics of Song and Ming dynasties basis on amalgamation of Confucianism aesthetics, Daoism aesthetics, Buddhism aesthetics. From the angle of modern times aesthetics, not only does it bring rich theoretical resources, but also its feature of amalgamation provides a wide field of view and mode of thinking.