Study Of Fangbao’s Theory On "Yi-Fa"

As a founder of Tong Cheng school(a kind of literary thoery in the Qing Dynasty), Fang Bao’s prose writing theory-"Yi-Fa" is the base of Tong Cheng school. This paper focuses on Fang Bao’s view on "Yi-Fa", explains "Yi-Fa" from the three aspects of academy, connotaion and heritage and development of early Tong Cheng school and also explores Fang Bao’s academic system, guiding ideology and writing method.Paper’s first explores the academic construction of "Yi-Fa" and the source of Yi-Fa" from four kinds of classic works(Confucian classics, history, philosophy and belles-letters) in Fang Bao’s academic system. These four kinds of classic works play different roles in Fang Bao’s view on "Yi-Fa". The Confucian classics is the source of thoughts, historical records is the example of writing, philosophical writings and other varous works are the models of writing. Only in this way, "Yi-Fa" can be used and excellent proses can be written.Paper’s analyses the connotation of "Yi-Fa" which includes the content, form and language in writing to define prose writing methods. This chapter firstly studies the connotation of "content" from aspects of choosing Confucian classics as its origin and depending on the true things, then explores connotation of "form" from "Yi" determining "Fa"and "Fa" regulating "Yi" and finally researches the connotation of language style according to the convention, prose and simplicity.Paper also tells the development of "Yi Fa" theory in Three Founders of Tong Cheng school. This chapter firstly studies how Liu Dakui’s "Shen Qi" theory shows the inheritance and development to "Yi-Fa", then discusses the development of "Yi-Fa" from Yao Nai’s view "Yi-Li、Kao-Ju、Wen-Zhang"with the aim of reseaching how those closely-related Three Founders of Tong Cheng school gradually perfected "Yi-Fa" and how Tong Cheng school finally formed.Familiar with all kinds of classic works since the childhood, Fang Bao chooses the Confucian classics as the source of thoughts, historical records as the example of writing, philosophical writings and other varous works as the models of writing, thereby forming "Yi Fa" theory whose branches are the content, form and language in writing. Liu Dakui, his student, creates "Shen Qi" theory and Yao Nai blends his thoughts(Yi Li, Kao Ju and Wen Zhang). Based on "Yi Fa" and developped by Liu Dakui and Yao Nai, Tong Cheng school gradually developped to form the final theory in theoretical system of Chinese ancient prose.