How the types and stages of Chinese aesthetics should be classified

(a) Pre-Qin is the first golden age in the development of Chinese classical aesthetics. Representative figure: Laozi. Put forward the concepts of "Tao", "gas", "image", "nothing", "virtual ", "reality", "emptiness", "quietness", "Xuanjian", etc., which had an extremely significant impact on Chinese classical aesthetics. Confucius. He started the tradition of Confucian aesthetics. He put forward the positive role of art in society, such as "Xing, Guan, Qun, and Grievance", the core of which is harmony, and "Knowing people are happy with the water, and benevolent people are happy with the mountains", which is the appreciation of the beauty of nature can be used as a kind of moral symbol of human beings.

(2) The period of Wei, Jin, and North and South Dynasties was the second golden age of the development of Chinese classical aesthetics. Characteristics: reverence for the three esoteric: "Laozi", "Zhuangzi", "Yi" , no longer emphasize the political and religious practical function of art, began to emphasize the aesthetic function of art. Aesthetic categories are: style, hidden show, divine thought. Representative: Tang Dynasty thinker Liu Zongyuan put forward "beauty is not beautiful, due to people and manifestation".

(3) The early Qing Dynasty is the third golden age in the history of Chinese aesthetics. This is the summary of Chinese classical aesthetics. Representatives: Wang Fuzhi, Ye Xie "Original Poetry" and Shi Tao "painting language".

From the beginning of the slave society, Chinese thinkers have been observing and thinking about aesthetics and art in direct connection with the fundamental problems of the universe, society, and life, and although they appear to be insufficiently systematic in their expressions and arguments, they are fundamentally permeated with their own unique and profound philosophical concepts. The study of Chinese aesthetics has had a process of introduction, dissemination, development and innovation. In particular, Mr. Cai Yuanpei, who returned from his studies in Germany, put forward the idea of "replacing religion with aesthetic education", so that aesthetics has gained wide attention in China.