古代文艺才器思想论

On the Thoughts of Literary “Cai Qi” in Ancient China

才器思想肇始于汉魏之际,它是在以器为用、成用为德思想基础上发展起来的。从文才出发讨论德,就必然要涉及这一论题。具体到文艺范畴的才器思想,其于主体素养强调器量、器识,关注文才的涵受居守之道;于创作则以文学艺术美学价值与现实功用的关系协调为归趋。从魏晋六朝至隋唐,相关思想经历了三个阶段:以《文心雕龙》为代表的六朝时期强调贵器用而兼文采;隋朝李谔代表政府发声,继承《诗大序》所宣扬的儒家文学思想本义,从文艺本位立论,强调崇本(质)抑末(华);唐代裴行俭则提出了影响深远的"先器识而后文艺"说。后世才器思想的继承大致延续了以下两个维度:器识与文艺离、器识与文艺合。但无论离合,关注主体人格境界、文艺社会价值的立场是一致的。以器识为观照,王国维所批判的羔雁的文学、啜的文学,既是古代文艺创作的弊病,也是当代文艺的镜鉴。先器识后文艺的思想虽然不乏功利主义的偏见,但作为一种警示,也时时提醒文人不能沉醉于风花雪月的梦幻与辞事韵调的经营,要具有济世热肠与现实情怀。

The thought of ＂Cai qi＂was originated in the Han and Wei Dynasties. This topic is inevitably involved in the discussion of virtue from the perspective of literary talent. The literary thought about ＂Cai qi＂has two dimensions：how to treat or use the talent; and how to attach great importance to the creative utility. From the Wei to the Sui and Tang dynasties,this thought went through three stages of development： pay the same attention to the literary utility and literary grace; emphasize the utility and restrain the literary grace; ideology and knowledge came before literature. In the subsequent development of this thought,it could be noticed that the two dimensions have been inherited： ideology and knowledge is separated or merged with literature. And for each dimension,personal cultivation and social value were attached with great importance. For the third stage – ideology and knowledge came before literature – a trace of utilitarian bias could be found,but meanwhile it also alerted literati to the literary fantasy or exaggerated literary grace and instead advocated social benefit.