The Aesthetic Trend Of Upholding ’Nature’ During The Wei And Jin Dynasties

During the Wei and Jin dynasties,an important change in the field of Chinese ideology and culture was the flourishing of metaphysics.The metaphysical thought of the Wei and Jin dynasties integrated the spiritual character of Confucianism and Taoism,emphasizing the core of ‘nature’ in ideology,that is,the operation and development of all things must follow the path of nature.At the same time as the flourishing of metaphysics,Buddhist ideas were constantly introduced to China during this period.In order to adapt to the local culture of China and take root in it,the Buddhist thought of this period absorbed and applied the resources of Chinese metaphysical thought.At the same time,the metaphysical thought itself also relied on the Buddhist thought of this period to continue exploring its core issues.It is in this context that the ‘nature’ideology of metaphysics has achieved significant development,and advocating ‘nature’ has become an important ideological feature of the Wei and Jin dynasties in China.The reverence for the way of ‘nature’ in the field of philosophical thought inevitably influenced the characteristics of aesthetic culture during this period-advocating ‘nature’ became an important aesthetic pursuit during the Wei and Jin dynasties,which was mainly reflected in taking ‘nature’ as the goal of life aesthetics,appreciating the beauty of natural scenery,and expressing and pursuing the beauty of ‘nature’ in literature and art.Firstly,promote ‘nature’ as the highest goal of life aesthetics.During the Wei and Jin dynasties,literati pursued the ‘naturalization’ of life,that is,a state of existence of the primitive ‘Dao’ that is free,natural,and full of vitality and spiritual energy.They practice their pursuit of this state of existence in real life.This is first reflected in the pursuit of absurd and unconventional behavior,that is,the pursuit of physical freedom and liberation.In addition,they also emphasize the natural beauty of human heart,attach importance to the natural expression of human true emotions,and emphasize the emotional attachment to all things in the world.In addition,truly returning to the path of ‘nature’ should demonstrate a posture that transcends the mundane,elegant,and worldly,and the pursuit of this life posture has also been prominent in the lives of literati during the Wei and Jin dynasties,such as their drinking,taking medicine,seeking immortality in seclusion,and engaging in mysterious discussions during this period.Secondly,appreciate the beauty of natural scenery.In addition to admiring the beauty of nature,people during the Wei and Jin dynasties also explored and pursued the beauty of nature.Throughout the universe,the most natural and self existing state of ‘Dao’ can be seen in the natural landscape,countryside,flowers,birds,fish,and insects.Therefore,during this period,people became close to and appreciated nature,which is a further manifestation of the Wei and Jin dynasties’ admiration for the beauty of ‘nature’.During this period,the trend of landscape and pastoral tourism prevailed,and people spontaneously integrated into nature,enjoying their temperament,pursuing sensory pleasure,experiencing the way of ‘nature’,and experiencing the laws of the universe’s operation.Not only that,they also introduced things from nature into the character evaluation of this period,used to describe the beauty of the characters’ form and spirit.Finally,expressing and pursuing the beauty of ‘nature’ in literature and art.Everything in nature,with its free and natural aesthetic characteristics,has stimulated people’s aesthetic mentality and also sparked the artistic creation impulse of literati during this period.During the Wei and Jin dynasties,the natural landscapes and pastoral areas,as well as flowers,birds,fish,and insects,gradually became independent objects of expression in the literary and artistic works of literati during this period.Paintings,poems,and other artistic works with landscapes and pastoral themes began to emerge continuously,which was an important manifestation of the Wei and Jin dynasties’ admiration for the beauty of ‘nature’ in the field of literature and art.In addition,the admiration for the beauty of ‘nature’ during the Wei and Jin dynasties also had an important manifestation in the field of literature and art,which emphasized that the process of literary creation itself followed the path of ‘nature’ and presented the beauty of ‘nature’.This was first manifested in emphasizing the natural nature of the literary creation process and creative effects,and opposing excessive artificial decoration.Secondly,it emphasizes that literary and artistic creation originates from true emotions,and emphasizes the natural expression of true emotions.Finally,it is also manifested as an emphasis on the emptiness,naturalness,and tranquility of the mind in the process of literary and artistic creation.It is worth noting that the beauty of ‘nature’ advocated during the Wei and Jin dynasties was not only clearly reflected at that time,but also had a profound impact in later generations.It can be said that advocating‘nature’ has been an important clue in the Chinese aesthetic cultural history since the Wei and Jin dynasties,which is reflected in two aspects.Firstly,it affects the taste and pursuit of life of later literati.After the Wei and Jin dynasties,many literati either implicitly or explicitly regarded ‘nature’ as their highest pursuit of life,which also created their aesthetic,artistic,and poetic lives.In addition,the admiration for the beauty of‘nature’ during the Wei and Jin dynasties also deeply influenced the literary and artistic creation of later generations.In the field of literature and art in later generations,literary works with landscape and pastoral themes have achieved significant development,and ‘nature’ has become an important principle and standard for literary creation and evaluation.