Guest lectures by scholars from Sichuan University at the Institute of World Literature of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, v. v. i.
Institute of World Literature SAS, 11 September 2024 (Wednesday) at 10:00 CET: Shunqing Cao & Liu Shishi (Sichuan University, China) The Body Aesthetics in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons: From the Unity of Form and Spirit to the Humanization of Literary Theory
This talk aims to explore how the body concept in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons (hereafter Wen Xin Diao Long) represents a unique perspective in Chinese literary theory, linking literary works with human physiological structures such as form, spirit, blood, qi, and organs, forming a “heterogeneous isomorphism” in poetics. According to Liu Xie, literary works possess a unique “form” and “spirit”, akin to the human body. This viewpoint is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese “philosophy of experience”, where the style and substance of poetry correspond to the physical features of the human body. Through this analogy, literary creation is not only a mental activity but also an extension of bodily behavior, achieving a fusion of emotion and style, which resonates with the idea that the body is a unity of flesh and spirit. This lecture points out that the body concept plays a central role in ancient Chinese literary criticism, encompassing material aspects (such as the five senses, skin, hair, muscles, and bones), sensory functions (such as sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch), and spiritual dimensions (such as qi, spirit, and rhythm). This body concept has promoted the development of Chinese poetics towards the psychologization of nature and the anthropomorphization of natural objects, laying the foundation for body aesthetics research, making it an important field following various modern aesthetic schools.
Shunqing Cao is Distinguished Professor at Sichuan University, member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts. His research areas are comparative literature and poetics; he has proposed Variation Theory of comparative literature – for more see his book about the theory in English (2015).
Liu Shishi is a PhD candidate of the College of Literature and Journalism of Sichuan University. Her research interests are comparative poetics and Variation Theory of comparative literature.
At 11:00 CET: Peina Zhuang (Sichuan University, China): Guest lecture: On the Comparison of Zhuangzi and Platoʼs Views on the Body
As two of the most romantic figures in the history of Eastern and Western philosophy, the philosophical ideals of Zhuangzi and Plato exhibit remarkable similarities. They coexisted during pivotal eras, enduring turmoil and transformation and witnessing the prosperity and collisions of civilizations. Both staunch idealists, they established romantic sanctuaries of the spirit for posterity, crafting poetic philosophical concepts. In their views on the body, they similarly regard it as a synthesis of physiology and spirit. Furthermore, they both express a profound affinity for the spirituality of the body, even dedicating their lives to the pursuit of spiritual freedom and beauty. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that Zhuangzi and Plato hold fundamentally different perspectives on the body. While both emphasize the composite nature of the body and pursue an aesthetic of spiritual transcendence beyond physiology, their concepts diverge significantly in their definitions of spirit (soul) and form (body), as well as in their understanding of the destination of spirit (soul) and form (body). This lecture will conduct a meticulous analysis of primary classical texts, combined with relevant literature from both Eastern and Western sources, to compare and contrast Zhuangzi and Platoʼs perspectives on body culture and the practical implications arising thereof.
Peina Zhuang is associate professor and Ph.D supervisor of comparative literature at Sichuan University. Her research interests include comparative literature, intercultural studies, and translation studies.