“元气”说与刘勰的自然文思观

The Theory of Yuanqi and Liu Xie's Concept of Natural Literary Thought

"元气"说主张自然文学观。其中的禀气成文说认为人因禀气而有心神,心神的思虑功能让人具有写作能力。由于天下一气,人禀气而生,神作为气之精粹就能达到"道"的自由。然而,思虑著述耗气伤神,反而会限制神的自由。只有放弃智思、虚静养气,神才能实现正常的思虑功能与自由特征。在这样的知识传统中,刘勰发现了神思自由和语言有限、禀气有限和智用无涯两对矛盾,提出了以养气为核心的自然文思观。他承续"元气"说生成论和玄学的自然心气观,承认语言不能穷尽人的精神世界,主张以才气掌控技巧,以虚静养气畅神,用任物自得的方式为恰当的气神关系、思言关系创造条件。

Shensi is a terminology presented during the Six Dynasties. Its meaning had been restricted by the knowledge and thought of that period. The theory of Yuanqi had just been the context in which Shensi was formed. It was also the context in which Liu Xie found the contradiction between the freedom of Shen and the limitation of language and the contradiction between human＇ s limited brains and the infinite using in intelligence. In order to resolve these contradictions, Liu Xie suggested the concept of natural literary thought that focused on the theory of Yangqi. Inheriting the idea of Yuanqi and Xuanxue, he asserted that literary skills would be controlled by writer＇ s talent, their intelligence would be nourished through Yangqi, and the best method to resolve the above-mentioned contradictions was to allow his spirit free if one wanted to write.