Mencius believes that human nature produces “four hearts (ports)” under the sense of reality. “Four Hearts” refers to the perceptual factors such as perception, imagination, emotion and intuition, and its function is actually an aesthetic activity. The experience process of the “four hearts” has an important position in Confucianism, which better reflects the pursuit of value of Confucianism. So it is called “the aesthetic mode of Confucianism”. Although it has had a profound influence on the ancient Chinese art, it has not been fully conscious in the aesthetic theory. Emphasizing the basic position of this aesthetic in moral activities is conducive to alleviating the inner conflicts of moral subjects, and can resist the non-contextual application of the existing concepts and norms in moral activities.
左剑峰. 论儒家的审美方式——对孟子性情论的美学阐释[J]. 浙江工商大学学报, 2019, 33(2): 18-26.
ZUO Jianfeng. On the Aesthetic Way of Confucianism——Aesthetic Interpretation of Mencius’ Theory of Humanity and Emotion. Journal of Zhejing Gongshang University, 2019, 33(2): 18-26.