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Delving into the Theory of Nature-Pneuma of Li Shangyin
2016/2017 School of Chinese Seminar
李商隱“元氣自然論”掘隱
Delving into the Theory of Nature-Pneuma of Li Shangyin
劉青海 Liu Qinghai
Date and Time: March 21, 2017 (Tuesday); 5:30-6:45pm
Venue: Room 730 Run Run Shaw Tower, Centennial Campus
Language: Putonghua
“元氣自然論”是李商隱詩歌本源論的核心表述，也是其全部詩學觀的重要基石。其哲學本源可追溯到先秦作為物質起源說的“元氣自然論”。中唐柳宗元、劉禹錫對天人關係的討論是李商隱“元氣自然論”的重要思想背景，劉禹錫、白居易等人有關“氣”的文學思想，也給予李商隱直接的啟發。作為一種受道家影響明顯的美學思想，“元氣自然論”是對傳統儒家以政教為基本功能的文學思想的重要補充。李商隱用“元氣自然論”來解釋具有明顯的變風變雅色彩的元結“危苦激切、悲憂酸傷於性命之際”的文學創作，指出其由變而返正的創作實質；但更多是藉此提出他自己不同於韓愈一派古文家的文學起源論和文道論。“元氣自然論”所包含的尚真、任情的審美思想，是造就李商隱詩歌創作在題材與風格上的獨特性的重要原因，也由此形成李商隱詩歌整體上的“緣情”特徵。
Theory of nature-pneuma describes Li Shangyin’s understanding about the origin of poetry, which lays a strong foundation for his poetics. It can be traced back to the theory of nature-pneuma used to explain the origin of things in pre-Qin dynasty. Liu Yuxi’s and Liu Zongyuan’s discussion on the relation between heaven and man offered an important background of Li’s theory, whereas Bai Juyi and Liu Yuxi’s literary thoughts about pneuma also inspired Li. As a Daoism-influenced aesthetic thought, theory of nature-pneuma is a significant supplement of the Confucian poetic education, which regards political education as the basic function of literature. This talk examines how Li used the theory to expound the impassioned and sad style of Yuan Jie’s works and to explicate the orthodox, instead of variant, essence of Yuan’s writing. It also argues that Li employed the theory to offer his ideas on Dao and the origin of literature that are different from those held by Han Yu and other writers of ancient-style prose. In short, the aesthetic ideas of advocating truth and following feelings embedded in the theory of nature-pneuma are key factors that have contributed to the thematic and stylistic uniqueness of Li’s writing, and helped form the characteristic of “expressing emotions” in Li’s poetry.
劉青海，北京大學文學博士，現為上海師範大學副教授。曾先後在韓國江陵大學、香港嶺南大學講學。主要從事中古詩歌史和中古文學史研究。已出版《比較詩學結構：中西文論研究的三種視角》（譯著）、《李白詩選》（合著）、《詩詞寫作常識》（合著）等著作，並在《文學遺產》、《北京大學學報》、《文藝理論研究》等學術刊物上發表論文三十餘篇。
Liu Qinghai obtained her PhD from Peking University. She is currently Associate Professor at Shanghai Normal University, and has taught in Korea and Lingnan University, HK. Her main research areas are medieval Chinese poetry and literary history. She has published extensively, including more than thirty articles in China’s top-tiered journals.
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