A Comparative Study Of Sympathetic Spirit And Heterogeneous Isomorphism

The theory of sympathetic spirit has a very important position in Chinese ancient literary theory's development history.The theory of sympathetic spirit started with concrete aesthetic experience,and to study the the formational mechanism of artistic creation,and this theory has an important influence on the Chinese ancient literature theory history. From the perspective of aesthetic psychology, heterogeneous isomorphism aims at explaining the psychological mechanism of artistic creation. It also has an important influence on the western literature theory history.Both the theory of sympathetic spirit and heterogeneous isomorphism emphasis on that mind and matter can communicate, on this point they are the same.They also have many other similarities,like they both belongs to the theory which explains how art works come about and so on.Of course they also have many differences, like the theoretical foundation and the theory style are different.The theory of sympathetic spirit first sprout in the pre-Qin period, the ancient people's thinking style,the idea of the unity between nature and human that included in the ancient books and records before Qin Dynasty such as Zhou yi, Zhuang zi. All of these have provided a theoretical support to the theory of sympathetic spirit. The West and East Han Dynasty's natural view on vitality and theological view of nature have make a promotion on it's development. The thought of the unity of heaven and man contained in Huang di nei jing, Huai nan hong lie,Chun qiu fan lu and so on, have promoted it's further development. With this bedding, The theory of sympathetic spirit finally ripened in the period of wei jin and southern and northern dynasties, then this theory was widely used in art creation. Based on the history of sympathetic spirit's development, this paper will also make clear what “wu” really means. In the theory of sympathetic spirit,“gan”means reaction and interaction. The theory of sympathetic spirit's definition is wider and wider since it's birth. In Lu Ji's Wenfu, “wu” includes physical heritage. Liu Xie expanded it's manning in Wen xin diao long. Liu Xie thought that “wu” also includes social mores and political civilization. Zhong Rong thought more. He believed that “wu”also includes social issues and historic events, the change of time, individual experiences and so on. So far,the meaning of “wu” is complete. Followed by, the theory of sympathetic spirit is matured. As a theory to explain how art creation come about, the theory of sympathetic spirit has a big influence on art creation, it has apply a theory support to art creation.Hering and Maha's principle of isomorphism is heterogeneous isomorphism's theory bud, gestalt psychology experts, such as Kurt Koffka,Koller,Wertheimer,they did much experiment and summaries, based on Hering and Maha's principle of isomorphism, finally they make a conclusion of this theory. At this time, heterogeneous isomorphism is still a theory of gestalt psychology. Heterogeneous isomorphism becomes a real aesthetic theory when the gestalt psychology aesthetic experts began to use this theory to explain the aesthetic phenomenon,art creation, art appreciation and so on. At this time, heterogeneous isomorphism is the theory what we are going to talk about. Rudolf Arnheim is the epitomed of this theory. He made heterogeneous isomorphism become a real aesthetic theory from a psychology theory. Heterogeneous isomorphism based on many experiments. It's theory is very strict and scientific. It explains how art creation came about from the perspective of aesthetic psychology, it has a big significance on the development of art creation theory. Compared with the other theory, heterogeneous isomorphism emphasis that the subject and object can become one unity. It is a new theory and has a very important position on the history of the western aesthetics.The similarities between this two theories are: from the relationship between the subject and the object, they both emphasis that they can become one unity,this have made a big possibility to art creation. From the perspective of three world theory, the second world is people's mind, it connects the first world and the third world. Every aesthetic activity comes about under the interaction of the subject and object,so,both theories believe that aesthetic was born in the second world. From the perspective of theoretical category, they both are art creation theories,they both explain the process of art creation, this has provided a theoretical basis for art creation. From the attribute of the theory, they both take the research method that from bottom to top, they both are summarized from specific aesthetic phenomenon,experiences. From the perspective of their foundation, the theory of sympathetic spirit's is “qi”, heterogeneous isomorphism's is “li”, both “qi”and “li” are uncertainty, neither of them be proved ture or false,but it is reasonable from the thinking style.Because they rooted in different cultural soil, they unavoidably have manydifferences. Analyzing their differences is the emphasis and also the difficulties of this paper. From the perspective of theory foundation, the theory of sympathetic spirit's theory foundation is the old ancient Chinese theory that man is an integral part of nature, and heterogeneous isomorphism's theory foundation is the principles of gestalt psychology aesthetic. Because the westerners emphasis more on analysis, science, experimentation, operability; Chinese emphasis more on integrality, pay attention to the relation between different things, and didn't notice the differences among them, pay more attention to experience and realization, so the theory of sympathetic spirit is mystical, empirical, affective, but heterogeneous isomorphism is scientific, logical,speculative. The boundary between aesthetic subject and aesthetic object are different for both theories, in the theory of sympathetic spirit, the aesthetic subject and aesthetic object can totally become one; in theory of heterogeneous isomorphism, the boundary is very clear, because it emphasizes that the shape of“li” of aesthetic subject and aesthetic object are the same. From essence, the theory of sympathetic spirit emphasis the essence of aesthetic subject and aesthetic object are the same but heterogeneous isomorphism insists the opposite opinion.Both the theory of sympathetic spirit and heterogeneous isomorphism has an important influence on it's own literature theory history. The comparative study between these two theories,on the one hand, can help us have a more clear cognition about these two theories, getting a better known to their characteristics more exactly, to understand their theory content from a new perspective. On the other hand, according to the comparative study, find out their combination and distinction, find out their connectivity and complementarity, link up the word's literature and art theory, get a better understanding of aesthetic principles, make a better introduction to art creation, and this is the real meaning of the comparative study.