A Study On The Aesthetic Appreciation Of Two

Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi lay a foundation of neo-Confucian theory in Song Dynasty, their theory was a tight ideological system consists of a basis of principles. Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi both regarded "Justice" as the nature of the universe, which is a cosmic body, a natural body and an ethic body. But they also had different ideas about the connotation of "Justice". Cheng Hao’s "Justice" is a body of sincerity, change and spirit, derives from "the Doctrine of the Mean" and "The Book of Changes". Cheng Hao’s thoughts of the nature of law is the same with Zhou Dunyi, all of them regarded sincerity as the body of universe and the work is to recover this body in individuals. Cheng Hao’s ideas of "recognition of benevolence", "totally benevolent and physical with the body", "totally and things with the body" are approaches to restore this body. Cheng Yi’s "Justice" is abstract and static, derives from "the Great Learning", his method is through exploring things to acquire knowledge, one can rectify one’s heart and finally sincere one’s thoughts.The ideal realm in Neo-Confucian philosophy is an aesthetic realm that needs self-cultivation, and the path to approach it is the basis that lays the foundation of Neo-Confucian Aesthetics. The answer lies in Mencius’thoughts "realize one’s own sincerity through the conscience of mind body, and one can finally get the ultimate pleasure. " Zhou Dunyi、Cheng Hao and Zhangzai both follow this proposition and try to give their answers.In the field of aesthetic realm, Cheng brothers’beautiful vision have three different compositions:"The kites fly in the air and fish jump in the water"、"Confucius and Hui’s Cheerfulness" and the " delightfulness of Zeng Dian". This compositions combine true and good and beauty as the most sublime unity and are correspond to the approaches as " recognition of benevolence"、"attitude of faith and worship"、"realize one’s own sincerity through the conscience of mind body". "Sincerity" is the key to connect the cosmic body and the mental body and during this self-cultivation process, the virtue realizes self-fulfillment in itself. This aesthetic process contains both "recognition of sincerity" and "sincere one’s thoughts". The ego integrity of sincerity is the key to realize the aesthetic realm and communicate Aesthetics and Neo-Confucian.This study selects three basic areas of Cheng brothers’ aesthetic ideas and self-cultivation methods. Chapter one starts from Cheng brothers’self-cultivation theory, probes into differences in Cheng brothers’personality and philosophical world. Chapter two discusses Cheng brothers’opinions on Aesthetic ontology-natural principles, especially in the connotation of "Sincerity" in Cheng Hao’s theories, which is quite different from Cheng Yi. By revising one’s own sincerity through the conscience of mind body, Cheng Hao’s self-cultivation processes lead to aesthetic realm. Chapter three discusses three compositions of Cheng brothers’aesthetic realm and their self-cultivation processes: "The kites fly in the air and fish jump in the water"、"Confucius and Hui’s Cheerfulness"、 " delightfulness of Zeng Dian", which are correspond to the approaches as " recognition of benevolence"、"attitude of faith and worship"、" realize one’s own sincerity through the conscience of mind body".