A Survey Of Huainanzi's Literary And Artistic Theory

Content: The literary theory of Huainanzi, which occupies a small percentage of the whole book, plays a very important role in the history of Chinese literary and artistic theory. This article comprises threes parts: The way's ontology; on artistic expression; on artistic acceptance. In the first part, the article expounds Huainanzi's philosophy-Taoism integrated with Confucianism, on which hs literary theory is built. The way of Huainanzi can be used to analyze the art because absolute freedom of spirit and harmony of heart embodied in the Way are respectively the nature of art and music. A large quantity of expositions on interior and exterior also influence its theory of "form and content" and of "body and spirit". In the second part, this article reveals Huainanzi's great contribution to the theory of feeling's expression in the history of Chinese literary and artistic theory. Huainanzi fully understands the kinetic capability of heart, and applies it to the analysis of music. Huainanzi argues that heart fluctuates with the exteriority and if heart is full of emotions, it must find a way to express them. Huainanzi insists sincerity is the pith and marrow of feelings. On artistic acceptance, Huainanzi analyzes the relationship between the creator, the work of art and the appreciator in the course of artistic acceptance on the base of the theory that if heart is loaded with something, it must impede the appropriate acceptance of art. Huainanzi exposes the complexity of the appreciator, simultaneously, it indicates that beauty is cognoscible and advocates the fine discrimination in artistic acceptance, claiming that one should act on one's good judgment . In the book, Huainanzi expresses its hope that the real understanding must exist in the world.