论儒家的审美方式——对孟子性情论的美学阐释

On the Aesthetic Way of Confucianism——Aesthetic Interpretation of Mencius' Theory of Humanity and Emotion

孟子认为人的本性在现实情境的感发下产生"四心(端)"。"四心"集感知、想象、情感和直觉等感性因素于一体,其作用过程实际上是一种审美活动。"四心"的感受体验过程在儒学中具有重要地位,较好地体现出儒家的价值追求,所以称之为"儒家的审美方式"。它虽然对中国古代艺术产生了深远的影响,但在美学理论上并没有被充分自觉,不像自然情感感发那样发展出感物学说。重视这种审美在道德活动中的基础地位,有利于缓解道德主体内心的冲突,并可以抗拒在道德活动中对既有观念和规范的非语境化运用。

Mencius believes that human nature produces “Four Hearts (ports)” under the sense of reality.“Four Hearts” refers to the perceptual factors such as perception, imagination, emotion and intuition, and its function is actually an aesthetic activity. The experience process of the “Four Hearts” has an important position in Confucianism, which better reflects the pursuit of value of Confucianism. So it is called “the aesthetic mode of Confucianism”. Although it has had a profound influence on the ancient Chinese art, it has not been fully conscious in the aesthetic theory. Emphasizing the basic position of this aesthetic in moral activities is conducive to alleviating the inner conflicts of moral subjects, and can resist the non-contextual application of the existing concepts and norms in moral activities.