The Confucian Roots of Li Zehou’s Aesthetic Thought of “Emotion Itself”

Abstract“Emotion itself” is the core concept of Li Zehou’s aesthetics. This concept appeared roughly around the late 1980s, and Li gave a systematic account of it in the 1990s. Li Zehou’s theory of “emotion itself” was related to his understanding of Confucianism, and particularly his uncovering the “emotional” connotations in original Confucianism. Li Zehou came up with “emotion itself” for several reasons. First, he was dissatisfied with modern New Confucianism as represented by Mou Zongsan and others. Second, it was a criticism of attempts by cultural Christians to introduce Christianity to resolve the so-called transcendental deficiency of Chinese culture. Third, it arose out of a need to complete the human natures of Chinese people in the molding of aesthetic emotions to give their souls comfort and belonging. While explaining these reasons, Li Zehou introduced Confucian perspectives and constructed his aesthetics of “emotion itself” while releasing the emotional dimensions of Confucianism. Both in terms of completing Li Zehou’s own theoretical system and answering the question of the nature of aesthetics, Li Zehou’s contemporary presentation of the aesthetics of “emotion itself” had great significance and enlightenment regarding how contemporary Chinese cultural creation can link up with tradition. AcknowledgmentThe original article was published in Zhongguo wenxue yanjiu 中国文学研究 (Research of Chinese Literature), no. 2 (2020).Notes1 Li Zehou 李泽厚, Lunyu jindu 论语今读 (A Modern Reading of the “Analects”) (Hefei: Anhui wenyi chubanshe, 1998), 3.2 Li Zehou, Zou wo ziji de lu: duitan ji 走我自己的路: 对谈集 (Taking My Own Road: Collected Conversations) (Beijing: Zhongguo mangwen chubanshe, 2004), 373.3 Li Zehou, Li Zehou jinnian dawen lu 李泽厚近年答问录 (Recent Q&As with Li Zehou) (Tianjin: Tianjin shehui kexueyuan chubanshe, 2006), 54.4 Li Zehou, Zhongguo gudai sixiangshi lun 中国古代思想史论 (On the History of Early Chinese Thought) (Tianjin: Tianjin shehui kexueyuan chubanshe, 2003), 32.5 Li Zehou, Li Zehou zhexue wencun shangbian: pipan zhexue de pipan 李泽厚哲学文存上编: 批判哲学的批判 (Li Zehou’s Philosophical Writings, Volume One: A Critique of Critical Philosophy) (Hefei: Anhui wenyi chubanshe, 1999), 433. Emphasis is in the original.6 Li Zehou, Meixue sanshu 美学三书 (Three Books on Aesthetics) (Hefei: Anhui wenyi chubanshe, 1999), 595.7 Ibid., 516.8 Ibid.9 Ibid., 546.10 Ibid., 593.11 Ibid., 544.12 Ibid., 545.13 Li, On the History of Early Chinese Thought, 292–93.14 Li, Three Books on Aesthetics, 259.15 Ibid., 429.16 Li Zehou, Shiji xinmeng 世纪新梦 (New Dream of the Century) (Hefei: Anhui wenyi chubanshe, 1998), 27.17 Ibid., 27.18 Ibid.19 Ibid., 30.20 Ibid., 31.21 Li Zehou, et al., Fusheng lunxue—Li Zehou, Chen Ming 2001 nian duitan lu 浮生论学——李泽厚、陈明 2001 年对谈录 (On a Floating Life of Learning—Conversations between Li Zehou and Chen Ming in 2001) (Beijing: Huaxia chubanshe, 2002), 188.22 Li Zehou, Shiyong lixing yu yuegan wenhua 实用理性与乐感文化 (Practical Rationality and the Culture of Optimism) (Beijing: Sanlian shudian, 2013), 55.23 Ibid., 62.24 Ibid., 55.25 Li, New Dream of the Century, 320.26 Li, Practical Rationality and the Culture of Optimism, 54.27 Ibid., 55.28 Li Zehou, Zhexue gangyao 哲学纲要 (An Outline of Philosophy) (Beijing: Beijing daxue chubanshe, 2011), 376.29 Li Zehou, Zou wo ziji de lu: zazhu ji 走我自己的路: 杂著集 (Taking My Own Road: Various Writings) (Beijing: Zhongguo mangwen chubanshe, 2002), 333.30 Li, Taking My Own Road, 374.31 Li, Three Books on Aesthetics, 418.32 Li, An Outline of Philosophy, 384.33 Ibid., 390.34 Ibid., 386.35 Ibid., 390.36 Ibid., 386.37 Li, Recent Q&As with Li Zehou, 47.38 Ibid., 297.39 Ibid., 298.40 Li, Taking My Own Road: Collected Conversations, 397.41 Li, Taking My Own Road: Various Writings, 338.42 Li, New Dream of the Century, 320.43 Li Zehou, Li Zehou duihua ji: yu Liu Zaifu duitan 李泽厚对话集·与刘再复对谈 (Collected Conversations of Li Zehou: Conversations with Liu Zaifu) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2014), 231.44 Li, Practical Rationality and the Culture of Optimism, 56.45 Ibid., 54–55.46 Li, Taking My Own Road: Collected Conversations, 404.47 Li, New Dream of the Century, 245.48 Li, On the History of Early Chinese Thought, 15.49 Ibid., 178.50 Ibid., 196.51 Li, Practical Rationality and the Culture of Optimism, 74.52 Ibid., 75.53 Li, An Outline of Philosophy, 374.54 Li, New Dream of the Century, 358–59.55 Ibid., 275.56 Ibid., 276.57 Li, Taking My Own Road: Collected Conversations, 446.58 Li, Recent Q&As with Li Zehou, 179.59 Li, Taking My Own Road, 463.60 Li, New Dream of the Century, 243.61 Li, An Outline of Philosophy, 386.62 Ibid., 387–88.63 Li, Taking My Own Road: Various Writings, 333.64 Li, New Dream of the Century, 4.65 Ibid., 288.66 Ibid., 302.67 Li, Li Zehou’s Philosophical Writings, 429.68 Li, Three Books on Aesthetics, 596.69 Li, Recent Q&As with Li Zehou, 298.70 Li, New Dream of the Century, 26.71 Ibid., 300.72 Li, Taking My Own Road: Various Writings, 449.73 Li Zehou, Li Zehou duihua ji: ershiyi shiji (er) 李泽厚对话集·廿一世纪 (Collected Conversations of Li Zehou: The Twenty-First Century (Volume Two) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 2014), 351.74 Li, Taking My Own Road: Collected Conversations, 446.75 Li, New Dream of the Century, 14.76 Li, Collected Conversations of Li Zehou: The Twenty-First Century, 330.77 Li, Taking My Own Road: Various Writings, 334.78 Ibid., 333.79 Li Zehou, Lishi bentilun: jimao wushuo 历史本体论·己卯五说 (Historical Ontology: Five Essays from the Jimao Year) (Beijing: Sanlian shudian, 2003), 103–104.80 Li, An Outline of Philosophy, 386.81 Li, Practical Rationality and the Culture of Optimism, 291.Additional informationNotes on contributorsJianhua XiaoXiao Jianhua, PhD in literature, Professor and master’s student advisor in the Guangzhou University School of Humanities, Guangzhou University Research Center on Literary Thought, and Guangzhou University Research Center on Contemporary Culture.