Moral Aesthetics and “Chinese-ness”: The Aesthetics of Modern Confucians

Title

Moral Aesthetics and “Chinese-ness”: The Aesthetics of Modern Confucians

Author

Su-san LEE

Page

177-222

DOI

10.6163/TJEAS.202006_17(1).0005

Abstract

Contemporary Confucianism rose in response to the challenges of ever-expanding Western civilization in modern times. Under the banner of cultural nationalism, the aesthetics of contemporary Confucians could be considered a defense of traditional Chinese sensibility against the West and its iconoclastic Chinese followers. Although their approaches were diverse, these scholars resonated with each other in terms of their basic assumptions and final conclusions. From cosmological philosophy, political background, cultural foundation to empathetic feelings, they formulated a system of moral aesthetics which was integral to their definition of “Chinese-ness”. They preferred the principle of “art for life’s sake” to the concept of “art for art’s own sake.” The “good” remained the top concern of all contemporary Confucians, whereas the “beautiful” was only secondary or supplementary. Will the “Chinese-ness” defined by such moral aesthetics be compatible with modernity? Open-mindedness and tolerance are essential for the two world-views to exist side by side.

Keyword

Thomé H. Fang, Qian Mu, Tan Jun-yi, Xu Fu-guan, Mou Zong-san

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