「書如其人」觀再議

“The Calligraphic Style Is the Man” Revisited

本論文探究傳統書論中，與「書如其人」有關之論述，如何從唐代遞衍至清代，構成「書」與「人」相聯繫的「書如其人」觀，並浸透於「書家」、「作品」、「觀者」等面向，形成一種評書、觀書、論書的潛在理論預設和思維脈絡。並論述「書如其人」觀所映現的傳統文化「美善相兼」之審美理想，以及其所迴映出先秦以降類應思維的影響。論述「書如其人」觀的理論特質和得失後，重新思考此說在現代語境下的意義，對其過於擴充人品道德評價之流弊有所反思，但亦確立「書如其人」觀可於當代留存的面向：不同書家之不同風格、變貌之表現，各自迴映其各具神采之情性、氣質。當其「踐履／創作」積累至一定的水平，無論取徑如何，皆可於筆墨形跡中見出各自之風神，這是「如其人」之當代新解，在本文的論述下，形成一更具彈性之理論架構。

Reviewing the theory of Chinese calligraphy with regard to the proposition that the calligraphic style should correspond to the calligrapher’s personality or disposition, this paper discusses the phenomenon of “the calligraphic style is the man” that has influenced the three dimensions of the calligrapher, the calligraphy, and the connoisseur. The idea of the correspondence between Chinese calligraphy and calligrapher has been gradually conceptualized in cultural and historical context, and it finally permeates the culture of Chinese calligraphy as well as becomes the foundation and prerequisite of interpreting Chinese calligraphy. The correspondence reflects the essence of Chinese culture that the aesthetics should embody virtue. It also reveals the potential influence of the philosophical thinking on correspondences. This paper also discusses the distinctive feature and the disadvantage of the thought of such a correspondence and further delineates how the correspondence can be preserved in the contemporary era. The evaluation of moral standard could be suspended in commenting Chinese calligraphy and the correspondence would be emphasized so that different gestures and styles could arise from individual characteristics of different calligraphers and artists. A new interpretation of the correspondence between Chinese calligraphy and calligrapher would thus come into existence and provide a more flexible framework to look at Chinese calligraphy.