In the history of ancient Chinese thought, bide 比德 initially existed as a universal mode of thinking with anthropological significance, referring to the association of certain human behaviors or concepts with the characteristics of natural entities. Until the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, this mode of discourse remained widespread across various textual traditions. After the Warring States Period, with the expanding influence of Confucian thought, bide gradually became systematized into specific intellectual traditions. Through the elaboration and extension of pre-Qin Confucian scholars' discussions, bide also began to exert influence on the literary and artistic domains. Notable examples include the concept of xiangde 象德 in ritual and music as moral cultivation, bide in painting, discussions on literary criticism that associate personal virtue with literary creation, and the bide-based conceptualization of yi 艺 and yishu 艺术.
The subject of this study is precisely the Confucian tradition of bide and its theoretical manifestations in literature and art, with a particular focus on the interaction between Confucian and Buddhist aesthetics as a key case study. In ancient times, bide was closely associated with Confucian moral thought. However, the literary and artistic concepts that emerged from it gradually exhibited characteristics that diverged from morality and could be identified as aesthetic phenomena. In this way, bide evolved into a tradition that integrates morality and aesthetics.
本研究旨在揭示这一思想传统是如何在儒家思想与佛教思想的互动中形成的，并确定在此过程中出现的具体概念轨迹和特征。通过这一探索，本研究旨在阐明 “比德” 作为前现代中国美学概念的包容性、多义性和文化独特性。
该项目为联合博士项目（上海大学和根特大学）框架下开展，由刘璟女士担任博士研究员。在根特大学逗留期间（2025 年 3 月 - 2026 年 3 月），主要研究宋代儒家和佛教学者关于比德的论述。