Physical, Psychological And Literary Quality

This thesis explores Wen-chih category in the Shen-xin horizon. The theory of Shen-xin monism goes through the time Pre-Qin dynasty, but thinkers all show different ideas on the connotation of Shen-xin theory in different historic phases. Confucius and Lao-tse propose the Shen-xin monism. Mencius and Zhuang-tse insist that the Xin uptakes the Shen. Xuncius and HanFei-tzu think that the Xin controls the Shen. The "Xin" has increasingly been marginalized and becoming more and more important in the process. Most thinkers, though different regarding specific aspect of Shen and Xin, are agreed on the unity of Shen and Xin.Different from western views, which are based on body dynamic, in Chinese philosophy, the body is not pure material, but a whole of a human's body and soul. They mainly focuses on "Practiced soma cultivation" in the time Pre-Qin dynasty. Thinkers maintain that one should cultivate one's morality in the inner substance, while they should regard one's courtesy and appearance as the outward beauty. The Xin is the expression of the Shen, while the Xin is a Function produced in Shen. It means to achieve the transition of the Shen. So that the person can be achieve to harmony of Wen-chih. The aesthetic pursuits for the beauty of personality corresponding their Shen-xin theory. Chih and simple has becoming the most important aesthetic patterns in tradition Chinese aesthetic style. At the same time thinkers don't miss the sensibility, and there is a special category called "Xuanhuo" in Chinese traditional aesthetics. Above all, Studying Shen- Xin theory in pre-Qin period, it can help us better explain the traditional aesthetics, and help us reinterpret the connation of the Chinese traditional aesthetic categories in a new horizon. Maybe it is possible to develop a new sphere for the comparative study and cultural dialogue in aesthetics between china and western.