Abstract
Zhou Dunyi (1017-1073) is commonly considered as the founder of the Confucian revival during the Song Dynasty (976-1279). In his moral treatise, Penetrating the Book of Changes, Zhou Dunyi clearly distinguishes "art (艺)" from "reality/truth (实)," and claims that the role of "expression (文)" is to express the Sage Kings' Way (圣王之道). The claim leads us to ask to what extent "art" helps along ethics in the restoration of the Way and whether there is a philosophy of art in Zhou Dunyi's moral discourse. The paper observes that cheng (诚 sincerity) is a central concept in Zhou Dunyi's thought and plays a key role in his apprehension of the Way. The paper then discusses "cheng" as an aesthetic concept on the basis that moral cultivation implies an artistic practice. The paper proceeds to discuss the influence of Zhou Dunyi on later Neo-Confucian masters and whether Zhou had established the premises of a major intellectual movement towards the aesthetics question.
First Page
67
Last Page
76
Recommended Citation
Maud, M'Bondjo. 2013. "Neo-Confucianism's Premises Facing Aesthetic Questions: Art, Ethics and the Way in Zhou Dunyi's Thought." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 33, (2): pp.67-76. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol33/iss2/12
