Research On Comments On ZhuangZi Eassys In Qing Dynasty

In Qing Dynasty, the research on Zhuangzi's essays came to the stage of maturity, representing the highest achievement of the research. This thesis, mainly aiming at the comments on Zhuangzi's essays by such scholars as Liu Yunming, Xuan Ying, Hu Wenying, Liu Fengbao in Qing Dynasty, makes a systematic study on their research. The thesis reveals the achievements and development of the research on Zhuangzi's essays during the period of time.Chaper One gives a brief introduction to the occurrence of the comments, chiefly analyzing the relationship between comments on essays and criticism theory of eight-legged essays and poetry.Chapter Two makes a survey of the research on Zhuangzi's essays, combing through the development of the research and research achievements by major scholars in Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties respectively.Chapter Three aims at Liu Yunming, who was not only the founder and pioneer of the research on Zhuangzi in Qing Dynasty, but also an epoch-making figure in the history of the research. He played an extremely important role in facilitating the change of the way of thinking in Qing Dynasty in terms of research on Zhuangzi. His research was different from the ones of the forerunners who mostly adopted the methods studying scriptures such as exegesis and paraphrase. He explored the intentions or wishes , and combed through the arteries and veins, appreciating and understanding the integral features of every essay. Though this seems to be trivial, complicated and even not very systematic, the opened a new gateway to the research and exerted great influence on the following.Chapter Four deals with Xuan Ying's research on Zhuangzi. He was a monumental figure not only in Qing Dynasty but also in the whole history of research. His research was not confined to the analysis of the formal beauty, but combined the form and intention, unifying ideological content and artistic quality and revealing the mood of Zhuangzi's works well. Besides, he summarized all kinds of expressing and rhetoric devices, promoting the research even further.Chapter Five makes a study of Hu Wenqing. His research style, which is very similar to Liu Yunming's, emphasizes the analysis of the formal beauty and language expression. But his analysis bears more literature qualities with more perception and comprehension, and vividness and liveliness, and simplicity and precision. Especially the comments on Seven Essays after Neipian, simple as it is, completely appreciates Zhuangzi from an angle of aesthetics, with very rich and strong artistic appeal.Chapter Six explores the research on Zhuangzi's essays by Liu Fengbao. Liu followed XuanYing's approach to Zhuangzi. Based on the achievements of the forerunners, he conducted a comprehensive investigation of Zhuangzi with his own personal understanding and aesthetic attitudes. He is another monumental figure in the research after XuanYing, and represents the highest achievement of the research.