Spirit of Elegance and Populace in Chinese Aesthetics

Author: Li Daotian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: The Chinese aesthetic tradition of "valuing elegance" and "revering elegance" has long emphasized the dominant role of humans in the creation of artistic works. This tradition in Chinese aesthetics places great importance on the relationship between humans and life, and it is particularly evident in the humanistic pursuit of a poetic existence. Chinese aesthetics holds that beauty arises from humans and insists on the principle of pursuing a poetic existence, advocating "starting from the object" while also "leading with the heart." It emphasizes that "beauty is not inherently beautiful; it becomes manifest through people," grounded in the humanistic spirit of "valuing elegance" and "revering elegance" as its theoretical foundation, striving for higher development.
In the vastness of heaven and earth, humans are considered the most precious, possessing their own independence, nobility, and agency. Therefore, humans can "establish the heart of heaven and earth," "participate in the heavens," and "roam freely" within the four seas and between heaven and earth. Through the mutual integration and permeation of the subject and object, one can achieve the cosmic realm of harmony between heaven and humanity.