The Cognition and Discovery of the Ocean in Early Chinese Aesthetics
Since modern times,with the recognition of differences between Chinese and Western civilizations,China has often been defined in contrast to the maritime nature of the West,it is called"Rural China"with its civilization labeled as"Yellow Earth Civilization".Yet,the maritime dimension has never been absent from Chinese history;rather,it has been aesthetically woven into the construction of China's traditional geographical space.This construction includes the philosophical positioning of the ocean,the division between"hainei"(srounded by sea)and"haiwai"(within the oceanic area),and the pattern of the"sihai"(four seas).In essence,it seeks to impose a coherent and orderly structure on a previously chaotic world,embodying a distinctive form of oceanic cognition shaped by aesthetic principles.For the broader study of Chinese aesthetic history,this oceanic concept reveals three key values:first,its notion of the"sihai"serves as an embellishment for land-based China;second,its oceanic imagination introduces an open-ended system to Chinese aesthetics;and third,its influences upon reality and practice offers a lasting paradigm for building a"beautiful China"in its traditional form.
Chinese AestheticsOceanic PhilosophyHaineiHaiwaiSihai
万方数据
维普
