Chinese Journal of Literary Criticism

No.3, 2024

A Comparative Study of “Xu,” “Ni,” and “Xuni”: Two Perspectives on Art

(Abstract)

Wang Huaiyi

In both Chinese and Western aesthetics and art contexts, the concept of “fiction” is derived from the idea of imitation. In ancient China, although the term “fiction” (xuni) existed, “xu” (the imaginary) and “ni” (imitation) were two related yet independent concepts. In the West, Plato’s and Aristotle’s various discourses on the relationship between poetry (art) and truth established two distinct views of fiction and artistic truth. It was not until Goethe’s period when the “fictional” was positively affirmed and valued. The comparison of Chinese and Western perspectives on “xuni” provides insights into the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western concepts of art and aesthetics in a comprehensive and in-depth manner.