Study on the Aesthetics of Zhou Yi

• Main Authors: Mei-Chien Peng, 彭美鑑
• Other Authors: Hui-Zhen Liu
• Format: Others
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/9cej6y

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 中國語文學系 === 100 === 　　Although Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten brought up the term, ‘Aesthetics’ in 1750, the Chinese people’s awareness of beauty can be traced back to approximately three thousand years ago. Instead of studying the universe like Western Aesthetics, Chinese Aesthetics strives for ‘Harmony between Nature and Humans’, which occurred to be the major characteristic of Chinese thought in the times before Qin Dynasty, i.e. the ‘Pre-Qin Era’. As one of China’s canons, Zhou Yi contains rich aesthetic ideas. Zhou Yi, as a matter of fact, presents a complete ideological system, in which aesthetics is one of the various angles adopted to probe into it. The aesthetic focus of Zhou Yi is placed upon great personality and mentality. A great personality can link up a person with the beauty of the universe, which can then make contribution to nourish the mentality, and that is the ultimate objective as well as merit of probing into the aesthetics of Zhou Yi. By incorporating both Zhou Yi and Yi Zhuan into the discussion, this study has not only compared the aesthetics of Zhou Yi with that of original Confucianism and Taoism, but also complemented its arguments with contentions of Chinese philosophers and aestheticians hoping to illustrate the idea that ‘he who chooses to study Zhou Yi understands its aesthetics’. 　　Among the ‘Hundred Schools of Thought’ during the Pre-Qin Era, the aesthetics of Confucianism and Taoism took the power of mentality as well as spirit seriously, and that type of attachment to some extent identified with the aesthetics of Zhou Yi. In light of that, this study firstly probed into the fundamental thought in the Pre-Qin Era about the aesthetics of Zhou Yi. The aesthetic contents of Zhou Yi were divided into six sections and discussed accordingly. The first section focused on the creation of the universe, i.e. how the notion of ‘Qian Kun’ was discussed in Zhou Yi from an aesthetic angle. The great man on the one hand possesses great virtue originated from Heaven, on the other hand develops great originality. The life of a great man is therefore sincere and magnificent. The second section focused on the aesthetic form of birth, i.e. what the divinatory symbols in Zhou Yi interpret. The correct way to continue human races shall be based on love, and conducted with righteousness, and that is the fundamental form of life in human societies. The third section focused on the aesthetic perception as well as methods of the system of symbols (pronounced ‘xiang’) in Zhou Yi. Since Zhou Yi had its unique ways of observation, i.e. ‘yanguan fucha’ and ‘zhenguan’, its symbols not only reflected the spirit of Heaven and Earth, but also conveyed the implication and feelings of a sage. The fourth section focused on the aesthetic criteria employed to review the idea of ‘Impartiality’ in Zhou Yi. Since things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme, to maintain impartiality is to keep one’s mentality from disturbance. The fifth section focused on the aesthetic perfection of Zhou Yi, i.e. ‘he who knows the springs of things possesses spirit-like wisdom’. Specifically speaking, he who seizes the minute sign before major changes is able to enter the inscrutable nature and attain the largest practical application of it, and that is to be able to create a better future. The sixth section focused on the beauty of spirit and morality, i.e. the discussion of theories addressed in Zhou Yi for literary as well as artistic creation. A sage is able to nurture from his suffering both proactive spirit and moral integrity, which have then formed the Chinese tradition of being steadfast and persevering, constructive and enterprising. 　　To conclude, it is believed according to Zhou Yi that ‘as heaven maintains vigor through movements, a man of virtue must never stop striving for self-perfection’. In light of that, the universe will present the beauty of steadiness, equilibrium, and harmony if one gets along with other people, or molds oneself with an impartial, energetic, and positive attitude. That is the most important aesthetic characteristic of Zhou Yi.