A Comparative Study On Natural Aesthetics: From A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Natural aesthetics is the root of human's aesthetic activities and the appreciation of nature is a common aesthetic activity of all human beings. Then, through the window of natural aesthetics, what differences and similarities between Western and Chinese literature can we find out? And what conflicts and sparks are there between Western and Chinese cultures? To explore the truth, this paper arrages a special dialogue between the two in the field of comparative literature. Yongzhou Ba Ji and Walden, the exemplary literature of Chinese Landscape Literature and Western Nature Literature, written respectively by Liu Zongyuan and Thoreau with a thousand-year span between, took nature as the mutual object of description. They put nature in an aesthetic position in their works. Despite their differences in a lot of aspects such as nationality, time of living and cultural background, they have the appreciation of nature as their common pursuit.Through the comparative analysis of the two contexts in the description of sceneries, projection of emotions, and expression of meanings, the paper finds out two points. First, they had deep resonance in manifesting nature, expressing their emotions towards nature, and placing their hopes and feelings on nature. In their eyes, nature is not only beautiful but also full of feelings; it is the home of heart. Second, they made different aesthetic choices from nature, and highlighted the dreariness of Yongzhou landscape and the vitality of Walden respectively. They expressed their personal grievances and their wish of following nature via blending their feelings with the sceneries; by way of this, they showed their unique aesthetic moods and emotions. Besides, from the perspective of Western and Chinese cultures we may find out that whatever it is---the Yongzhou landscape representing the beauty of man, or the Walden showing the purest beauty---what they both fulfilled is the common pursuit of the harmony between man and nature, which is one of the highest and purest point of aesthetics, and the perfect state of ecology. Thus, under the natural aesthetics, from a cross-cultural perspective, they walked towards the connect of higher level.