Analyzing literary emptiness and substance: a perspective informed by Tang Junyi’s neo-Confucian philosophy

Abstract

Tang Junyi’s The objective of this study is to thoroughly analyze and interpret Tang Junyi’s ideas about emptiness and substance in literature and art in a systematic manner. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of Tang Junyi’s viewpoints, we initially employed the “close reading method” to carefully examine all of his works. Additionally, we utilized the “conceptual analysis method” to focus on identifying and explaining key concepts in his literary ideas. At the same time, we compared Tang Junyi’s ideas with other scholars’ research findings, using the “literature comparison method”. After conducting a thorough examination, the author concludes that Tang Junyi’s perspective on emptiness and substance in literature and art is not an independent intellectual construct, but rather a unique viewpoint formed within the backdrop of traditional Chinese culture and philosophy. This concept is central to his literary theory and serves as a prominent element within his philosophical framework. By exploring the realm of “emptiness and substance” within Tang Junyi’s literary ideas, we can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for his impact on literature and philosophy. This exploration also presents fresh perspectives and conceptual structures for the examination of Chinese literary theory and culture.distinct presentation of the concept of “reality and emptiness” in literature and art as a representative of the second generation of Neo-Confucianism is an essential aspect of his discourse on art. “existence and non-existence” and “reality and emptiness” from the origins of Chinese philosophy, as well as Tang Junyi’s original concepts of “observing the realm of emptiness” and “containing reality and emptiness,” comprise his concept of “reality and emptiness” in literature and art. constitute the philosophical foundation of Tang Junyi’s concept of “reality and emptiness” in literature and art, which is manifested explicitly in the artistic concept of “space-time interval” and the use of emptiness, and the literary concept of “transforming nature into emptiness” and other “reality and emptiness” concepts. “Reality and emptiness” as a literary concept. Tang Junyi’s “reality and emptiness” concept in literature and art conveys aesthetic, spiritual-moral, and culturally significant connotations.