The Embodiment of the Idea of the “Golden Mean” in the Aesthetics of Confucius

Abstract

This article examines the aesthetic ideas associated with the concept of zhong yong zhi dao 中庸 之道 (“golden mean”) by Confucius. Particular attention is paid to the following provisions of Confucian aesthetics: wen zhi bingbin 文质彬彬 “appearance and essence are equally perfect”, le er bu yin, ai er bu shang 乐而不淫，哀而不伤 “being joyful is not obscene; being sad does not hurt”, jin shan jin mei 尽善尽美 “quite beautiful and quite moral”. The author comes to the conclusion that Confucian aesthetics expresses the idea of zhonghe zhi mei 中和之美 “the beauty of middle harmony”, embodying the ancient Chinese thought of “the balance of yin and yang”. Confucius advocated the equality of wen “appearance” and zhi “essence”, which should complement each other and correspond to the principle of the “golden mean”. The philosopher praised the music of 關雎Guan Ju (“Meeting the Bride”), claiming that it was “cheerful but not obscene, sad but not hurtful” and believed that sadness and joy generate each other and adapt to each other. Confucius clearly distinguished beauty from goodness, and the combination of beauty and goodness that he adheres to is actually based on the reverence of morality.