Olfactory Narratives and the Formation of Chinese Ethical Discourse
Scent is the earliest natural symbol used by human beings to represent themselves.In Chinese,the character"闻"can mean both"to hear"and"to smell".There is a strong correla-tion between Chinese ethical discourse and olfactory perception;core expressions in Chinese moral education such as"熏陶"(edification),"感染"(influence),"气氛"(atmosphere)and"氛围"(ambiance)all relate to the sense of smell.The significant epistemological shift ex-pressed in the phrase"黍稷非馨,明德惟馨"(The fragrance of millet is not as precious as the fragrance of virtue)ushered ancient Chinese society into a stage of flourishing civilization.Qu Yuan's"Ode to the Orange Tree"uses the fragrance of plants to symbolize noble character,and Liu Yuxi's"Inscription of the Humble Room"claims that the fragrance of virtue can improve the quality of an environment(this is a humble room,yet my virtue makes it fragrant).Even to-day,the expression"德艺双馨"(a person of both professional excellence and moral integrity)is used to commend those who have made significant contributions in both moral conduct and artistry.The ancient metaphor of comparing virtue to fragrance fundamentally reflects the hope that virtue,like scent molecules,can adhere to others.However,unlike the way scent interacts with olfactory nerve cells,"德馨"(the fragrance of virtue)is a long-term process that quietly nourishes others and eventually becomes"fragrant"on its own.The impact of smell on memo-ry and the psyche surpasses other sensory stimuli.Describing someone's obsession with a par-ticular scent essentially highlights their unique emotions and values.The narrative function of novels seems to wane compared to the burgeoning visual arts,but some insightful thinkers see hope for reversing this decline through the exploration of smell.
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