The starting point of the history of Chinese aesthetics is the aesthetics of (...)

The starting point of the history of Chinese aesthetics is Laozi aesthetics.

Laozi aesthetics is an important part of ancient Chinese aesthetic thought and has had a profound influence on Chinese culture. The core idea of Laozi's aesthetics is Taoism, which emphasizes the concepts of nature, inaction, softness, and non-competition, and these concepts have had a profound influence on the aesthetic interests and aesthetic standards in Chinese culture.

The natural concept of Laozi's aesthetics emphasizes the true state of things and opposes man-made modifications and carvings. This idea has influenced the aesthetic interest in Chinese culture, making people pay more attention to the natural beauty and inner beauty of things. For example, in traditional Chinese garden design, attention is paid to the use of natural terrain and water sources, minimizing artificial intervention to reflect the beauty of nature.

The concept of inaction in Laozi's aesthetics emphasizes the idea of not deliberately pursuing or forcing things, and advocates going with the flow and doing nothing. This idea has influenced the aesthetic standards in Chinese culture, making people pay more attention to inner qualities and spiritual states. For example, in traditional Chinese painting, emphasis is placed on the expression of the painter's inner world and emotional expression, rather than the mere pursuit of a fine and detailed picture.

The concept of softness in Laozi's aesthetics emphasizes that softness is better than strength, and advocates that softness should be used to overcome strength and weakness. This idea has influenced the aesthetic interests and aesthetic standards in Chinese culture, making people pay more attention to soft, subtle and introverted beauty. For example, in traditional Chinese music, emphasis is placed on expressing the inner emotions and spiritual connotations of music rather than merely pursuing the splendor of melody and the complexity of technique.

The influence of Laozi's aesthetics on Chinese culture:

1. Literary arts: Laozi's aesthetics of nature, inaction, and softness have had an important influence on the creation and aesthetics of traditional Chinese literature and arts. For example, in ancient poems, poets pursued a natural, fresh style and focused on expressing the true state of things.

In ancient landscape painting, painters focused on expressing the grandeur and beauty of nature, emphasizing the mood and chiaroscuro of the picture; in ancient calligraphy, calligraphers pursued a natural, smooth and subtle style, focusing on the expression of inner emotions and spiritual states.

2. Social life: The concepts of nature and inaction in Laozi's aesthetics have also had an important impact on Chinese social life. For example, in the way of life, people pay more attention to the natural, healthy and comfortable way of life; in the social interaction, people pay more attention to the sincere, trustful and respectful way of interaction; in the values, people pay more attention to the inner qualities and spiritual state.

3. Philosophical thought: Laozi's aesthetics has also had an important influence on Chinese philosophical thought. For example, the concepts of doing nothing and going with the flow in Taoist thought are similar to the concepts of nature and inaction in Laozi's aesthetics; the middle way in Confucianism is also similar to the concept of softness in Laozi's aesthetics. These philosophical ideas have had a profound impact on the development of Chinese culture.

4, aesthetic standards: Laozi's aesthetics of nature, inaction, weakness and other concepts of aesthetic standards in Chinese culture has had a far-reaching impact. For example, in traditional Chinese garden design, attention is paid to the use of natural terrain and water sources, and artificial intervention is minimized to reflect the beauty of nature; in traditional Chinese painting, attention is paid to the expression of the inner world of the painter and the expression of emotions, rather than just pursuing the exquisite and detailed picture.