Comparison Between Li Zhi And Rousseau's Poetics

Nowadays humanity has entered an unprecedented era of science and technology, and the problems facing humanity can be found everywhere. As two great thinkers from East and West--the Chinese thinker Li Zhi in the late Ming Dynasty, and the French thought educator Rousseau in the age of Enlightenment, both in their era, proposed the solution to the alienation of natural environment and human.Though they are far from our time, the essence of their thoughts and wisdom way of thinking have been affecting so far, and how to understand the essence of their thought and to utilize it at present is an issue. We should sort out the ideas of Rousseau and Li Zhi with comparing, from the conclusion of which we find the similarities and differences and connect it to the current reality for our use. Indeed the kingdom and the times of Li Zhi and Rousseau vary greatly and there seem to be nothing comparable, but they are at the verge of a collapse of old system while a new period of time has not been established. his turn of old to new system of society,they all made fierce criticism upon the alienation of society. Facing these social phenomena, for instance the moral collapse, losing morale, and wealth inequality, the thought of an utopia occured to both of them, and that is returning to nature.With regard to Li Zhi and Rousseau, although their ideas about "returning to nature" are not entirely the same in connotation and extension, their ideas are similar surprisingly.This paper analyzes the similarities and differences of their idea and is divided into four parts. The first part as the introduction, summarizes the possibility to make a contrast between the idea of Li Zhi and Rousseau.The second part as the straight matter, analyzes the similarities of Li Zhi and Rousseau, and is presented in four points. The first point introduces the similar career of the two. The second point presents the basis of theory of the two to be the advocation and love to nature. The third point presents the similarity of their core doctrine, which is "theory of childlike innocence" and "Emile" respectively. The fourth point presents the similarity of their thought of equality and freedom.The third part analyzes the differences between Li Zhi and Rousseau, and illustrates the distinction of their essential thoughts from three points of the understanding on nature, childlike innocence and religion.The fourth part breifly illustrates the impact upon Chinese literature of their poetic thoughts, and concludes the significance of such contrast by connecting it to reality.This paper aims to derive the active facet from the thought of Li Zhi and Rousseau, and to connect it to real life for our study and utilization.