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Frontiers of Philosophy in China

ISSN 1673-3436

ISSN 1673-355X(Online)

CN 11-5743/B

Postal Subscription Code 80-983

Front Phil Chin    2010, Vol. 5 Issue (4) : 560-574    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11466-010-0115-1
research-article
The Significance of Xuwu 虚无 (Nothingness) in Chinese Aesthetics
FAN Minghua()
School of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Abstract

Just as nothingness is a fundamental concept in Daoist philosophy, it is also a fundamental concept in Chinese aesthetics, where it has multiple meanings: First, nothingness, as a reaction against unaesthetic psychical activity, is a primary precondition of aesthetic and artistic activity. Second, as the void or intangible “stuff” juxtaposed to “substance,” it is an indispensable compositional property of artworks as well as an essential condition for the manifestation of an artistic form. Finally, as a reaction against the unaesthetic world of daily life—the experiential world—nothingness is the fundamental basis and essential provision for establishing an artistic world.

Keywords Daoism      nothingness      aesthetic      art      aesthetics     
Corresponding Author(s): FAN Minghua,Email:fmh6191@sina.com   
Issue Date: 05 December 2010
 Cite this article:   
FAN Minghua. The Significance of Xuwu 虚无 (Nothingness) in Chinese Aesthetics[J]. Front Phil Chin, 2010, 5(4): 560-574.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fpc/EN/10.1007/s11466-010-0115-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fpc/EN/Y2010/V5/I4/560
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