“移风易俗”:中国古代的审美意识形态命题

Transforming Social Traditions: A Proposition in the Ancient Chinese Aesthetic Ideology

“移风易俗”是中国古代的审美意识形态命题 ,它在古代美学史上的发展可分为四期 :先秦 ,荀子基于性恶论 ,主张以音乐和谐情感的作用 ,弥补礼义强扭人性的刻意、划一之偏 ,首次提出具有鲜明意识形态性的移风易俗命题 ;秦汉之际 ,《乐记》从理论上进一步突出了命题的意识形态性 ,而《吕氏春秋》、《淮南子》以道家思想修正并重新解释了该命题 ;到汉代 ,由于谶纬迷信的泛滥 ,命题的意识形态性在董仲舒《春秋繁露》中被相应地神学化 ,后经《白虎通》的阐释 ,该命题被正式颁布为官方意识形态 ;魏晋时期 ,嵇康从道家自然人性论出发 ,否定了音乐移风易俗的道德性、神学性及政教性 。

In the ancient Chinese society, transforming social traditions was a subject of political instruction to which both the rulers and the thinkers paid much attention at all times. The development of this proposition in the Chinese aesthetical history underwent four phases as follows:In the pre-Qin Dynasty, based on the theory of evil humanity, Xun Zi insisted that music should make the most of its natural feelings and harmony to avoid the limitation that the ritual introduction laid special stress on changing humanity by compulsion. Xun Zi, taking music as an aesthetic ideology, brought forward the ideological proposition of transforming social traditions.At the turn of the Qin and the Han Dynasty, the proposition developed into the Confucian classical theory of music in Yue Ji (On Music), and its ideological characteristic became more prominent theoretically. At the same time, the proposition was modified and explained afresh by virtue of Taoism in Lv Shi Chun Qiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Mr. Lv) and Huai Nan Zi.(Writings of Prince Huainan).In the Han Dynasty, Dong Zhongshu put forward his universe view of harmony between man and nature, as well as his theological teleology of Heaven/Man communion. He exaggerated and intensified the functions of ritual and musical introductions, especially musical, which gave rise to the prevailing prophecy and superstition in the last year of the Western Han Dynasty. The proposition of transforming social traditions was correspondingly theologized. Therefore, the rulers could seek unity ideologically with the help of the theological power. Bai Hu Tong (Comprehensive Discussions in the White Tiger Hall) was the code formulated by the rulers of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Wherein, the proposition of transforming social traditions was regarded formally as a piece of policy of literature and art, and became an official ideological proposition. The intensification of its ideology turned gradually to the acme.In the Three Kingdoms period and the Jin Dynasty, Ji Kang advocated the Taoist theory of natural humanity and pointed out that music only took harmony as it was. Music can naturally change the customs of people through purifying individual feeling gradually with no purpose, no god, and no decree from the central government. As a matter of fact, Ji Kang's musical theory weakened the ideology of the proposition of transforming social traditions.To sum up, the development of this proposition in the aesthetic history generally shows the basic image of the theory of the aesthetic ideology from the early ancient times to the middle ancient times.