The Confucianism’s Foundation Of Wang Guowei’s Aesthetic Education Thought

Wang Guowei is the first Chinese scholar who interprets modern aesthetic concept and aesthetic interpretation, known as one of the pioneers of Chinese modern aesthetic education. He regards aesthetic education as "emotional education"; emphasizes aesthetic of "useless", advocates to clear up human’s sufferings and sharp moral personality on the basis of "aesthetic disinterestedness"; Meanwhile, Wang Guowei proposes concrete aesthetic education conception like "quaint" and "fart" which replacing religion, and regards it as a good idea to solve practical problems such as rampant opium. As a great master in the change of ancient and modern Chinese & Western, Wang Guowei’s aesthetic education thought contains rich elements of the Confucianism, whose choice of aesthetic education, the construction of aesthetic education theory and ultimate dream of aesthetic ideals root in profound Confucian thought, however, it is unknown to people because it is hidden below the expression of Western discourse.The thesis starts from two perspectives of "the same" and "difference" to study on the foundations of Confucianism. Then, the "same" refers to the similarities between traditional Chinese practice of aesthetic education and aesthetic education thought with modern Western aesthetics, it is the similarities that Wang Guowei would like to choose and accept the Western aesthetic education. Even our traditional society has no "aesthetic education", but it has rich aesthetic practice and aesthetic thought, the ritual system of pre-Qin’s ritual system and pre-Qin’s ritual thought roots in Confucian thought is the source and the core. The Confucian thought of music education has positive attitude towards human"s perceptual desire and emotion, advocates to cultivate inner moral sensibility on the basis of following human’s perceptual needs, plays role of civilizing aesthetic education on the basis of respecting aesthetic characteristics, it is the attention to emotion and maintenance of aesthetic characteristics that form the connections between it and modern western aesthetic education; And Wang Guowei has deep cognition on pre-Qin’s ritual system and pre-Qin’s ritual thought, then thinks "emotion" as nature of rites and music. Therefore, the reason why Wang Guowei chooses "aesthetic education" in vivid western theories is just with the influence of ritual tradition. Meanwhile, traditional ritual thought prompts him to limit scope of intellectuals and effects the idea of choosing "fine art" but not religion.The "difference" refers to the differences between Wang Guowei’s aesthetic education form by Western thought and the original form of the western thought. Because Wang Guowei’s aesthetic education is directly inspired and received from the Western, so that it is expressed, interpreted and argued by western discourse. However, due to the presence of pre-understanding structure, it marks difference between Wang’s western knowledge and the original form of the western thought, and historical and cultural traditions is the key factor causing this difference. Therefore, study on Western’s acceptance of Wang Guowei and compare the difference has become the key to find the Confucianism foundation of Wang Guowei’s aesthetic education. The most three important western resources of Wang’s aesthetic thought are from Schopenhauer, Kant and Schiller. Schopenhauer’s voluntarism philosophy thinks that the Will is the nature and source of pain in life, and it need to be completely negated as the existence of the body, therefore after a temporary negative aesthetic, it would leads to completely negation of asceticism, this is the certain logic Will philosophy theory of Schopenhauer. But Wang Guowei only accepts Schopenhauer’s aesthetic function theory without concept of abstinence, because what Wang would like to negate is negative impact on life and society of selfish desire miscellaneous but not Schopenhauer’s Will as life, so that even Wang accepts Schopenhauer’s voluntarism, he abandons it on the level of aesthetic education, and replaces for Kant’s "Concept of Interests". Meanwhile, he leads Schiller’s aesthetic ideology which is reformed to final moral status of aesthetic perfection, just as "fit moral law without norm". And the reason he does aesthetics/aesthetic education thought integration and transformation of Schopenhauer, Kant and Schiller is from internal driving force and adhesive of Confucian’s study of mind and nature whose core is removing miscellaneous selfish desire and returning righteousness.At the same time, Wang Guowei also gives aesthetic education with rich Confucian realm, which firstly performs in he understanding western aesthetics and aesthetic education with Confucian realm, such as using Shao Yong’s "Describing Objects to Reflect Objects" to understand Schopenhauer’s theory of aesthetic contemplation, using Confucian’s "Nature and Humanity" to understand Schiller’s aesthetic personality. It finally leads to Confucius’s personality. Confucius’s "No more than a moment have whatever is desired " is model of Confucian’s "Nature and Humanity", not only moral realm but also aesthetic realm. By the efforts of intermingling Schopenhauer, Kant and Schiller’s aesthetic/aesthetic education thoughts, finally returns to Confucius’s personality.