Choice, Freedom and Creativity--Tao Yuan-ming as Depicted by Su Dong-po
Resource
臺大中文學報, 12, 259-284
Journal
臺大中文學報
Journal Issue
12
Pages
259-284
Date Issued
2000-05
Date
2000-05
Author(s)
Fand, Y.
Abstract
The high appraisal of Tao Yuan-ming by important men of letters in the Sung dynasty plays a key role in establishing him as a major writer. Su Dong-po, among them, extols both the poetry and personality of Tao, and Su's praises are determining and quoted very often in later ages. However, Tao and Su live in ages far apart, their fate and experience diverse, and their personality bears little resemblance, Why does Su think so highly of Tao? Why dose Su write over the years 109 poems to rime with Tao's poems? These questions are the doors that lead to the core that my essay tries to explore. My essay will start with a discussion on the concept of choice: Tao's choices of taking a civil post and later resigning to be a recluse are in fact related to the innermost parts of his personality; my points are based on the idea of the thymos man in Hegel's concept of human rational development, and can be evidenced by Zhu Xi's views on Tao. What Su admires most in Tao is his ability to transcend the value systems of others and to truly obtain spiritual freedom. Then , I will employ the concept about drift and creativity to analyze how traditional intellectuals who have drifted away from the center of power can establish temselves as models of integrity by means of maintaining spiritual awareness. The compatibility of Su and Tao as soul mates can be proven by how in their writing they perceive nature as well as life and death in similar ways. Finally, I will adopt Harold Bloom's concept concerning the anxiety of influence to show that Su might, consciously or unconsciously, take Tao as his rival; that Su tries hard to overcome this anxiety might have something to do with his eventual great achievements in literary history.
Subjects
抉擇
自由
蘇東坡
陶淵明
Choice
Freedom
Su Dong-po
Tao Yuan-ming
Type
journal article