Journal of Shanghai University (Social Science Edition) ›› 2009, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (5): 96-108.

• Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Confucius and Ontological Poetic Theory
——A Discussion of Compilation of the Poems and Its Evaluation

  

  • Received:2009-01-06 Online:2009-09-15 Published:2009-09-15

Abstract:

As the first Chinese literary theorist, Confucius took a rather complex attitude toward Poems. For one thing, he cultivated a habit of expressing his aspiration by the poems; for another, he asserted the emotional function of the poems, which he regarded as prime importance. As a matter of fact, his cultivation of the habit indicates his conformation to the trend of the time; while his assertion of the emotional function implies his true understanding of the poems. The notion of "Xing", "Guan", "Qun" and "Yuan" he advanced marks Confucius' holistic apprehension of the genre of the poems, interpreting explicitly the nature (lyrical), the function (representing social and emotional lives) and creative psychology (outcrying against injustice) of the poems. The current poetic understanding remains within what Confucius proposed. The appearance of Confucius' poetic theory not only marks the awakening and establishment of Chinese ontological poetic theory but also have notable influences on the development of Chinese poetics.

Key words: Key words:  Confucius; Poems; moderation; the notion of "Xing", "Guan", "Qun" and "Yuan"; ontology