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Three Meanings of Moderation: The Effective Integration of Literary Aesthetics and Ethic Politics as a Practice of Rhetoric Politics

Liu Fengjie, Fan Tiange   

  1. the School of Humanities at Soochow University
  • Online:2017-11-25 Published:2017-10-18
  • About author:Liu Fengjie is a professor in the School of Humanities at Soochow University. His academic interests cover literary theory, history of modem Chinese literary theory and Eileen Chang studies. Fan Tiange is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Humanities at Soochow University. His major academic: interest is the history of modem Chinese literary theory.
  • Supported by:
    This paper is supported by the National Philosophy and Social Sciences Foundation (13BZW002).

Abstract: As a theory of artistic style within the domain of political cultivation, moderation is both the result and rhetorical practice of Confucian ethics and authoritarian politics. Moderation forms its own systemic characteristics, namely, roundabout admonishment in terms of rhetorical strategies, aesthetics of harmony regarding aesthetic taste, and a lyrical principle of starting with genuine feelings and stopping with good manners. However, after the May 4th Movement, it was replaced by the creation principle of "starting with genuine feelings, and ending with genuine feelings".

Key words: theory of political cultivation, moderation, rhetoric politics, literary political science