Dong Zhong-shu And The Construction Of The Premise Of The Literature Theory In Earlier Stage Of The Western Han Dynasty

Dong Zhong-shu and the Construction of the Premise of the Literature Theory in Earlier Stage of the Western Han DynastyJu HuoAbstract The earlier stage of the Western Han Dynasty is the period in which some of important methods of thinking were in finished form in Han Dynasty and the whole Chinese feudal society. Many thinkers, such as Jia Yi ^ Si-ma Qian, Liu An and Dong Zhong-shu have some matters of common concern in this period, though they were thinking in different domain. This thesis concentrates its efforts on illustrating that these matters of common concern are different from the pre-Qin days and the period of past Han Dynasty. This special premise of theory only exists in this period, it is determined by the problematic of that period. Through the description of the specific characteristics of the premise of theory, we can analyze some basic concept of the Chinese ancient theory of literature in this period. It is because the history of the theory of literature is not divorced from the soil of the theory that they grow up. They cannot exist in isolation. The nature of the history of thinking in that period is determined by the history of thinking in that period, ll is especially obvious that the Chinese ancient theory of literature have the feature of dependency.Some methods of describing the history of the theory of literature is to look upon the ancient thinking as the modern thinking, try their best to find out the point that can connect with the modern time. For example, according to the modern acceptance theory, we believe Dong Zhong-shu's theory of "Shi can not be explain precisely" is the representation of aesthetic theory, refer to the endless aesthetic state; according to the theory of the correlation of affection and scene, we believe Dong's theory of correspondence between nature and human is a original representation of the modern theory. This method is considered to be not desirable in this thesis. It cannot precisely illustrate the connotation of the concept in ancient thinking, it make the ancient thinking become the megaphone of the modern time. This thesis insists on a conception of history of reduction, regard the ancient thinking as the object of science.From Dong Zhong-shu's theory of correspondence between nature and human, this thesis analyzes the whole time. It's because opposite to other thinkers, Dong'splace in history of theory of literature is less important, but it is just him who express the thinking of his time. He forms the basic nature and form of the theory of literature in distance. The theory of origin of literature, the theory of development of literature, the theory of function of literature can find the original theory form in Dong's theory of correspondence of nature and human, and the cause of formation of these theory can be explained through Dong Zhong-shu.From the premise of the cosmology, Dong construct the thinking of a unite origin in earlier stage of the Western Han Dynasty. This premise establishes a pattern of eternal principle, denies the principle of empiricism in the pre-Qin days, transforms the theory of Ym-yang Wu-xing, make the method of understand the object under the eternal principle. So. it is first solve the problem of origin of literature indirectly, because if there is not a supreme principle above the experience, literature only can have the function of " relation to the politics and answering the asking of the ruler", and cannot have the obligation of" establishing the principle of universe". When the theory of origin of literature was constructed semi-voluntarily, literature had been deified. The establishment of the eternal principle not only depend on the cosmology, but also must have the supplement of the premise of the theory of human nature, to built the pattern of human nature form the concept of enlighten by education of literature in ancient theory of literature.At last, centered on the establishment of the eternal principle, this thesis analyzes the real object: politic philosophy. It is just inco...