魏晉士人論才性之美──以《世說新語》為例

On the Beauty of Character for Wei-Jin Intellectuals—According to“Shih Shuo Xin Yu”

魏晉時代是一個擺脫傳統倫理教條，重視個人思想解放的階段。在此一過程中，審美觀念大幅擴張範圍，對於個人天賦的性格與過人的才幹也能另眼相看。本文將以《世說新語》為主要材料，分析其中所述的才性之美。首先談到敏捷的才思，所欣賞的是十歲以下幼童驚人的記憶力、想像力、與應對力。其次談到卓越的才能，就當時政治上的領袖人物加以品評。第三，描述人的個性，包括特殊的才幹與傑出的品行。最後，強調才性與修養仍有不可分的關係，理想的性格應以真誠為基礎，以正直為方向，並以仁孝為其初步表現。

In the Wei-Jin period, intellectuals tried to get rid of traditional ethical codes and turned their attention to the emancipation of thought. During this period, aesthetic ideas expanded to cover individual’s gifted nature and special talent. This article, based on the “Shih Shuo Xin Yu”, presents the following points. First, the quick response in dialogues is noticed and the heroes are children under ten years old. Secondly, the extraordinary ability of some political leaders is highly evaluated. Thirdly, characters including genius, the talented, and common people are analyzed. Finally, the connection between character and cultivation is emphasized.