강유위의 서예미학사상 연구

Abstract

Thinkers of the late Qing Dynasty harbored deep concerns that emphasizing the character of the era might lead to a neglectful attitude toward the people’s traditional values. Conversely, they feared that highlighting the people’s character could result in lagging behind the progressive movements of the time. Here, the ‘character of the times’ likely refers to the adoption of Western studies, while the ‘character of the people’ seems to pertain to the maintenance of Chinese traditions. Kang Youwei, born during China's tumultuous period marked by the Opium Wars, the Treaty of Nanking, and the Taiping Rebellion, witnessed the clash between Western civilization and traditional Chinese thought. As China's sovereignty was severely restricted and its territory was divided due to invasions by several imperialist colonial powers, intellectuals like Kang sought reform through new ideas. Based on existing research, this paper endeavors to conduct a thorough examination of Kang Youwei’s literary and aesthetic philosophies. Central to understanding Kang Youwei’s literary and aesthetic ideologies is the metaphysical framework of reformative thought, which shapes his worldview. He asserted that calligraphic art should undergo significant transformation, grounded in the concepts of Original Vitality (元氣論), Reform (變法), and Esteem for Stone Inscription Studies (碑學). Kang Youwei’s aesthetic principles profoundly impacted calligraphy, fostering the aesthetics of stone inscription with a focus on epigraphy, and promoting the aesthetics of calligraphy that honored stone inscriptions while diminishing the importance of model boards. He emphasized the robust beauty of yang found in stone inscription studies, contrasting it with the delicate beauty of yin in model board studies (帖學). Kang Youwei championed the strength of yang for its ability to encapsulate the essential and dynamic aspects of beauty. Kang Youweibelieved that calligraphy centered on model board studies is gentle and refined yet weak, so it is implicitly associated with political incompetence. Thus, he revered stone inscription studies, applying the theory of political reform to literary and aesthetic thoughts. As can be seen from these examples, the advancement of calligraphy has always been fundamentally based on social change, from ancient times to the present.