The Union And Harmony Idea Of Musical Aesthetic Theory In The Pre-Qin And Han Dynasty

Union and harmony is the core of musical aesthetic theory in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasty. It existed in the understanding and regulations of musical nature and function, musical content and appreciation form.First, music originated for union and harmonyThe primitive totems derived from the desire of union in the tribe. Primitive songs and dances with especial feelings and emotions could meet the desire of tribe union. These songs and dances were presented not only the union and harmony between human and nature, human and Gods but also the integration of human's will, feelings and senses, all of which became the earliest origin of the musical harmony sprit in china. Cultivating economy and patriarchal clan system made the union and harmony idea in the primitive songs and dances root in China.Second, musical theory was based on union and harmony principleFeelings is the root of music, which has been well understood by Chinese ancients. Then the natural and neutral feelings boomed out of it. Confucianists remarked that music should imply the ethical principles of human relation society that decided the neutral and peaceful feelings should be taken as the quality of music. Taoists remarked that music should imply the principle of the natural rules so natural and harmony feelings should be taken as the quality of music. Apparently, Confucianists and Taoists were different from each other here, but both of them undoubtedly aimed at the same point that music expressed union and harmony. It was because that neither of them noticed the inside nature of music but concerned about the outside principle of music at the point of social ethics and natural rules when they built up their musical theory.Third, musical social function was based on union and harmonyMusic was taken as an efficient measurement to keep human relational society union, harmony and order, which was looked as the argument focus of the musical aesthetics in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasty. Confucianists engaged in the musical feelings function to convince person to be kind to make ethical perfect and at last to make human society harmony. Taoists promoted the nature of music and human to make human society natural harmony. Mohists believed that one country could keep its Feudalism society in order harmoniously by uniting its ideology, expanding its material production and ruling its country industriously. The theory of Mohists against music was to run after harmony from the opposite side. Legalists advocated serious laws and severe legal sanction to get the whole society union. The spring and Autumn of Lu Buwei emphasized the subjectivity of music, which said the aesthetical function of music mainly lied on nourishing and maintaining life. Huainan Zi addressed on the musical education naturally. Dong Zhongshu considered music as the root of behaving as a human and a measurable way to rule a country. He advocated to respect Confucian learning only but to dismiss the other various schools of thinkers from official order to get the whole Feudalism union and harmony. YueJi researched and built up the reaction theory between feelings and music. It believed that virtue should control the musical feelings. It eventually completed the musical educational theory in the pre-Qin and Han. As a result, the musical entertainment value belittled, and the behaviors sucked in musical entertainment were denied and critiqued by these thinkers stormily.Forth, differences in union displayed its harmony beautyMonotony is dull but union and harmony is beautiful. This is the Chinese ancients'musical aesthetical idea built up since long ago. During it, there were the beauty of differences and harmony that came from the theme of rich and union characterizing in the peaceful and medium atmosphere towards harmony. Such kind of musical aesthetical idea was the fruit of musical social function. Confucianists emphasized the neutral and peaceful feelings to build up the beauty of music. Taoists advocated the natural and harmony music. What they thought, for example,"the big sound sounds nothing","the universe sounds naturally"etc. is the superior model of natural harmony without any human-make signs. YueJi indicated that the most beautiful music was neutral and peaceful, which displayed the harmony between universe nature and social ethics.The above four aspects constructed the main body of the union and harmony idea of musical aesthetical theory in pre-Qin and Han Dynasty. The union and harmony idea of musical aesthetical theory shows out the whole Chinese national sprit on union and harmony. Based on different standing points, various schools explained their ideas variously from the aspects of social functions and aesthetical values, which was the fruit of that ages because social vibration reflected on different philosophical view, social view and outlook of life. But the same quality of the union and harmony in schools'contending is the historical achievement of national culture born in the cultivating economy and the human relational society. Union and harmony idea of musical aesthetic theory came into being and developed in pre-Qin and Han. It rooted the aesthetic taste of Chinese ancient arts and it made a deep influence on the later generations.