Philosophy with ChatGPT: History of Chinese Aesthetics Part 2 - Confucius: How Does Poetry Affect Humans? - 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan' and the Educational Power of Art

I am posting the results of the philosophy I conducted with ChatGPT.

This time, I will introduce the second installment of the history of Chinese aesthetics proposed by ChatGPT: "Confucius's Aesthetics."

Since Chinese aesthetics is not my specialty, there are parts I cannot fully verify, but I intend to post this while having Gemini check it as well, with the intention of studying it together with all of you.

I realize it is hard to say whether the analysis is valid or not, but I would appreciate it if you could watch over this warmly as one perspective proposed by ChatGPT.

*I have also touched upon Confucius in the following articles, so I would appreciate it if you could read those as well.

*I would also appreciate it if you could read the rest of the series as well.

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History of Chinese Aesthetics Part 2

Confucius: How Does Poetry Affect Humans?

-- 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan' and the Educational Power of Art

Introduction: Poetry Does Not End with 'Expression of the Heart'

Last time, using the 'Great Preface' of the Classic of Poetry as a clue, we sought the starting point of Chinese aesthetics in the 'heart'.

'What is in the heart is intent; when expressed in words, it becomes poetry.'

What is in the heart becomes intent, and that becomes poetry when expressed in words. Furthermore, it is said that 'emotions move within and take form in words,' meaning that movements of the heart become words, and when words alone are not enough, they become songs and spread into physical movements.

Here, art was first understood as something that 'is born from the heart'.

However, when we reach Confucius, the direction of the issue changes.

Poetry is not just something that brings what is inside the heart to the outside.

By reading poetry, the human heart itself changes.

This is where the importance of Confucius's theory of poetry lies.

In the Analects, Confucius speaks about poetry as follows.

Through poetry, one can 'inspire'.
Through poetry, one can 'observe'.
Through poetry, one can 'socialize'.
Through poetry, one can 'express resentment'.

These four are not merely a list of the utilities of poetry.

Contained within them is a quite profound way of thinking about the relationship between art and humanity.

Poetry expresses emotions. But at the same time, it awakens emotions.

It creates a way of seeing society. It connects people to one another.

And it also becomes a place to express dissatisfaction and suffering that cannot be stated directly.

In other words, for Confucius, art is not a one-way movement from 'heart to work,' but rather

Heart → Poetry → New Heart

a cycle.

1 'Poetry can inspire' — Art awakens the heart

First is 'Xing' (inspiration).

If 'Xing' is simply translated as 'to be moved,' its meaning becomes narrow.

Something acts as a trigger for the heart to begin moving. Seeing one thing, one thinks of another.

From the scenery before one's eyes, imagination expands to a world not directly related to oneself.

Poetry has such a function.

For example, reading a poem about spring flowers.
It does not merely contain the information that 'flowers are blooming'.

Seeing the flowers, one thinks of life.
From the sight of falling flowers, one feels the flow of time.
One recalls a parting with someone.
Memories of the past are revived.
One imagines emotions not yet experienced.

A single word, a single scene, a single metaphor opens up another world within the heart.

This is 'Xing'.

Therefore, the power of art does not lie solely in explaining something.

By moving the heart, it makes visible what was previously unseen.

This applies directly to contemporary art as well.

You watch a movie and think about issues you had never considered before.
You read a novel and imagine a life completely different from your own.
You listen to music and, without being able to explain why, memories of the past come flooding back.
You look at a painting and notice changes in light or color that you would normally never pay attention to.

Before providing knowledge, art can sometimes change the very way we perceive thingsことがある。

'Xing' is that initial moment.

2 'Shi Keyi Guan' — Art creates the eyes with which to see the world

Next is 'Guan'.

Through poetry, one can see the world.

What is important here is not that poetry is an encyclopedia about the world.

Rather, by reading poetry, the way the world itself appears changes.

For example, suppose you are only reading the news about a certain society.

You look at statistics. You look at numbers. You look at policies. You look at incidents.

However, when you read a novel that depicts the life of a single person, the same society can look completely different.

Instead of the number 'poverty rate,' you begin to see how one person greets the morning, what they fear, what they give up on, and what they hope for.

This is not so much that art is increasing 'information,' but rather that it is

changing the sensitivity with which we view the world

it is.

For Confucius, poetry was not merely a collection of beautiful words.

It was also a training method for observing humans and society.

In the Analects, scenes where Confucius encourages his disciples to study poetry appear repeatedly.

This is because without knowing poetry, one cannot fully understand the subtle meanings of words or the nuances of human emotions.

Here, 'aesthetics' and 'ethics' converge.

A person who can perceive human emotions in detail can also become sensitive to the states of others.
Sensing the emotions behind casual words.
Imagining what the other person has not put into words.
Adjusting one's own emotions according to the situation.

In other words, artistic sensibility, even if it is not ethics in itself, becomes the foundation for ethical sensibility.

This is likely an important issue even in the modern age.

An increase in information does not necessarily lead to a deeper understanding of humanity.

Rather, even while being exposed to vast amounts of information, one can sometimes become insensitive to the emotions of a single person right in front of them.

Confucius's concept of 'Guan' (observation) points in a different direction regarding this.

Knowing the world is not just about possessing a lot of information, but also about being able to feel the details of the world.

3 'Shi Keyi Qun' — Art Makes Humans a Community

The third is 'Qun' (socializing/grouping).

Through poetry, people can 'group' together.

Art is often thought to be something one appreciates alone.

However, poetry does not only isolate people.

Rather, by sharing the same words, people create a community.

Singing at festivals. Singing songs of celebration. Singing funeral songs. Singing war songs. Singing love songs.

When people sing the same songs, a temporary community is born there.

What was once only one's own emotion is shared with others.

It is not that 'only I am sad.'
It is not that 'only I am happy.'

You realize that there are others who share the same feelings.

Art does not just express an individual's inner self; it transforms an individual's inner experience into a communal one.

There is an important difference here from the 'Great Preface'.

If the 'Great Preface' strongly emphasized the generative aspect of 'expression born from the heart,' Confucius goes a step further.

How does what is expressed move between people?
How is poetry shared?
How does it create a community?

Here, art becomes a social entity.

4 'Shi Keyi Yuan' — Things That Cannot Be Said Can Be Said Through Poetry

And the fourth is 'Yuan' (resentment/grievance).

Through poetry, one can 'express resentment'.

This 'Yuan' is very important.

This is because the critical power that art holds toward society is revealed here.

There is dissatisfaction with politics. There is criticism of those in power. There is a sense of discomfort with society.

However, there are times when stating this directly can be dangerous.

Alternatively, putting it into direct words might actually prevent the true emotion from being conveyed.

That is where poetry comes in.
It speaks through metaphor.
It makes other characters speak.
It criticizes the present while talking about events of the past.
It shows the state of human society while depicting nature.

Poetry can critique society in a way that differs from direct political assertion.

In this sense, 'Yuan' is not mere complaining.

It is about creating distance from society through art and viewing society from that distance.

Even today, films, plays, novels, manga, and music can express the contradictions of society in ways that differ from direct political statements.

In fact, rather than being told directly 'this is wrong,' being shown a story can sometimes lead one to start thinking for oneself.

The phrase 'poetry can be used for grievance' captures that possibility at a very early stage.

5. 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan' are not four separate utilities

When 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan' are listed, it appears as though poetry has four distinct utilities.

However, if we read a little more deeply, these four can also be understood as a single flow.

First, the heart is moved by poetry.Xing (Inspiration).

Next, one views the world through that moved heart.Guan (Observation).

Then, one shares that experience with others.Qun (Socializing).

And finally, one expresses the contradictions and suffering felt within the community.Yuan (Grievance).

In other words,

Heart is moved → View the world → Share with others → Critique society

This is the cycle.

Here, art is not something that allows humans to escape from society.

Rather, it becomes a power to perceive the world more finely, to relate to others, and to re-examine that society.

Art is not 'departing from reality,' but ratherchanging how one engages with reality.

6. 'Joy without excess, sorrow without injury' — Is it better for emotions to be intense?

However, Confucius sets one important condition here.

That is 'joy without excess, sorrow without injury'.

'Enjoy without reaching excess, grieve without being overly wounded.'

This does not mean that one should suppress emotions.

It is actually the opposite.

Confucius does not deny emotions themselves.

Both joy and sorrow are necessary.

The problem is being completely consumed by those emotions.

Joy must not become an intoxication that makes one forget others.
Sorrow must not become a despair that destroys oneself.

This is where the very delicate nature of Confucius's theory of art lies.

Art does not weaken emotions.

By feeling the emotion and giving it form, one creates a distance from that emotion.

For example, when a sad event occurs, if you are just crying, you are completely enveloped in that sadness.

However, you turn that sadness into a poem. Into music. Into a story.

Then, even if the sadness does not disappear, it is placed before you as a form.

You are no longer just 'in' the sadness; you can 'see' the sadness.

Here, art is not something that erases emotion, but rather

a form for living through emotion without being dominated by it

becomes.

7 Art and 'Moderation' - It is not about diluting emotions

One must not understand the 'moderation' mentioned here as simple 'moderation' or 'halfway'.

What is important in art is not to weaken emotions.

Rather, it is important to give form to strong emotions while maintaining their intensity.

If you are sad, you are sad.
If you are angry, you are angry.
If you love, you love.

However, instead of lashing out with that emotion as it is, you place it within the form of a work.

A distance is born there.

Because of this distance, emotions become shareable with others.

This is where the mystery of art lies.

The more personal an emotion is, the less it can be conveyed to others as it is.
However, when it is given an appropriate form, it actually reaches many people.

The sadness of one poet becomes the sadness of a human hundreds of years later.
The loneliness of one composer becomes the loneliness of a human in a completely different era.
The love depicted by one writer feels like one's own experience.

Personal emotions become universal experiences by acquiring form.

Confucius's 'joy without being lewd, sorrow without being injurious' is also important when considering this structure of art.

8 Is Art 'Education'?

At this point, it becomes clear why Confucius placed such importance on poetry.

Poetry 'teaches' humans.

However, this does not mean that a teacher teaches a student the correct answer.
It is not a command to 'think this way'.

Read poetry.
The heart is moved.
Imagine the experiences of others.
Know your own emotions.
See the world.

While doing so, the very way humans feel begins to change.

This is education for Confucius.

Therefore, art education has a meaning beyond simply acquiring techniques.

By drawing pictures, one learns to see.
By listening to music, one learns to hear.
By reading poetry, one feels the subtle nuances of words.
By watching theater, one imagines the position of others.

In other words, art education is also

not about teaching something, but about cultivating the ability to feel the world

as well.

This issue is likely important in modern education as well.
Education is not just about efficiently acquiring knowledge.

What moves our hearts?
To what extent can we imagine the suffering of others?
How long can we think about a single work?
Can we refrain from giving immediate answers and accept what we do not understand as it is?

These abilities are also important for humans to live in society.

Confucius's theory of poetry provides an old, yet still valid, perspective on this.

9 Influence on Japan: Waka Poetry Possesses the 'Six Principles'

This theory of poetry by Confucius was not imported into Japan exactly as it was.

However, through the reception of Confucianism and Chinese literature, it has deeply influenced Japanese literary theory as well.

One concrete example of this is the 'Six Principles' in the Kana Preface to the 'Kokin Wakashu'.

Ki no Tsurayuki incorporated the 'Six Principles,' which originated in the Chinese 'Classic of Poetry,' as a framework for considering the classification and functions of waka poetry.

There is more meaning here than simply imitating Chinese literary theory.

In Japan, while Chinese 'poetry' was replaced by 'waka poetry',

poetry is a form for moving the human heart, expressing the emotions of society, and understanding the world

—this way of thinking was passed down.

When considered together with the phrase we saw last time, 'Japanese poetry takes the human heart as its seed and becomes a myriad of leaves of words,' Japanese waka theory

the 'from heart to poetry' of the 'Great Preface' to the 'Classic of Poetry'andConfucius's 'humans are changed by poetry'

—it ends up embracing these two streams.

10 Further Afield: Noh Theater and the Way of Art

Confucius's theory of poetry cannot be applied directly to the theories of Noh theater or the tea ceremony.

However, the idea present there of 'regulating emotions through form' is also interesting when considering the Japanese ways of art.

For example, in Noh, emotions are not exploded directly, but are expressed through forms, chanting, dance, and pauses.

Sadness appears not as a scream, but as a restrained voice and physical movement.

Therefore, the audience is not told that something is 'sad,' but rather feels the sadness itself.

This does not mean that the 'emotions are weak.'

Rather, by condensing emotions through form, those emotions are transferred to the audience.

In tea ceremony and martial arts as well, there is an aspect of cultivating the state of mind by placing the body within a 'kata' (form) rather than expressing emotions directly.

Of course, one cannot attribute all of this to Confucius.

Japanese traditional arts are influenced by a complex interplay of not only Confucianism, but also Buddhism, Taoism, Shinto, and even Japan's unique physical culture.

Nevertheless, the idea of changing the mind through form rather than directly manipulating the human heart serves as an important point of contact when comparing the artistic views of Chinese classics with Japanese traditional arts.

Conclusion: Art Makes Humans 'Sentient Beings'

In the 'Great Preface' to the Classic of Poetry, it is stated that art is born from the heart.

However, Confucius asks what lies beyond that.

So, what happens to a human being when they read that poetry?

The answer is 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan'.

Poetry moves the heart.
It creates a way of seeing the world.
It connects people to one another.
And it expresses dissatisfaction and suffering toward society.

Art does not merely go from the inside of the heart to the outside.
The art that has gone outside then enters the heart of another person, changing how that person sees the world.

Therefore, art has two directions.

From the heart to art. And, from art to a new heart.

Confucius is important because he clearly recognizes this latter aspect.

Furthermore, 'joyous but not licentious, sorrowful but not injurious' raises another important issue in considering the relationship between art and emotion.

Art is not about venting emotions as they are.

By placing emotions within a form, we can observe those emotions while feeling them.

It is not about erasing sadness. It is about turning sadness, as it is, into a work of art.

It is not about erasing anger. It is about giving anger a form that can reach others.

It is not about weakening love. It is about sustaining love through the forms of words, sounds, and the body.

Art may not be something for suppressing emotions, but rather

something that gives emotions a form that humans can live with

perhaps.

In this sense, Confucius's theory of art is not merely a 'theory of art education.'

It is also a question of what it means to be human.

Humans are beings that feel.

However, they do not just feel.

They are beings that put what they feel into words, give it form, share it with others, and look at their own emotions once more through that form.

Art makes that cycle possible.

That is why, for Confucius, poetry was not merely a hobby.

Learning poetry was not about memorizing words.

It was about learning how the human heart moves.

And from here, Chinese aesthetics undergoes an even greater transformation.

'Poetry is born from the heart.'
'Poetry shapes the human heart.'

But what if the highest expression appears precisely where one stops 'expressing'?
What if the deepest beauty appears not in form, but in the 'absence of form'?
What if the more an artist holds onto their own intentions, the further they drift from natural creation?

This is where Laozi enters the scene.

Next time, Chinese aesthetics will temporarily depart from the path of 'from heart to expression,' and

Why does beauty appear in 'not expressing'?

This leads to a completely different question.

Supplement

While inheriting the issue of 'poetry is born from the heart,' I focused on the point where the problem is inverted by Confucius rather than simply repeating it.

In other words, poetry is not just an expression of the heart; by studying poetry, the very nature of human emotion changes.

From there, I considered the educational power of art and the moderation of emotion, focusing on 'Xing, Guan, Qun, Yuan' and 'joy without licentiousness, sorrow without injury.'

Regarding Japan, rather than vaguely stating the general influence of Confucianism, I looked specifically at how it connected to the Six Principles, Waka, Noh theater, and the Way of Art.