On Aesthetic Ideal Of The Ornament And The Substance Are Duly Blended

Confucius said,When natural substance prevails over ornamentation,you get the boorishness of the rustic.When ornamentation prevails over natural substance,you get the pedantry of the scribe.Only when ornament and substance are duly blended do you get the true gentleman.Confucius is the first one who put forward the point that ornament and natural substance are duly blended.He thought that gentleman must combined the virtue of internal humaneness with the external ceremonial propriety.Although this point of view is concerned about the personality of gentleman,it contains rich aesthetic ideas.To pursue the harmony of ornament and natural substance,and avoid one of them become overstated is the highest aesthetic principle of Confucius' theory.And it also provides the new aesthetic measure for the development of Chinese Aesthetics.In the aspect of self-cultivation,the ornament can be regarded as humaneness,and the natural substance can be regarded as ceremonial propriety.In the aspect of art,the ornament is equal to goodness,and the natural substance is equal to beauty.Both of them include the aesthetic standard of the golden mean.They are the unification of truth,goodness and beauty.There are some similarities and differences when compare the ornament and natural substance are duly blended with being perfect beauty and at the same time perfect goodness.The rule of the ornament and natural substance are duly blended is the highest aesthetic ideal of Confucianism.And it plays an important role in the later development of aesthetical standard.It has become one of the most important criteria in the art of music,literature,painting and so on.Although the aesthetic realm of the ornament and natural substance are duly blended is the accomplishment of personality and the art,we can not exaggerate the role of it.Confucius' thought has its own limitation.His aesthetic ideal cannot do without the political ethics and social utility function.So we can't get the thought of Confucius as a dogma,and blindly adore him.We should understand the rule of the ornament and natural substance are duly blended in a rational manner.