Abstract:

As a master of rationalistic Confucian philosophy, rich aesthetic elements which display the aesthetic realm with
traditional cultural connotations constitute ZHU Xi's ideological system. ZHU's comments on aesthetics contain the "temperament
beauty" evaluation of characters with Confucian ethic aesthetic features as well as the artistic creation and appreciation of "plain
beauty" from the perspective of rationalistic Confucian philosophy. At the same time, it can also be concluded as the aesthetic attitude
"related with virtue", which made the evaluated characters and literary works have both the original morality basis and distinct artistic
taste. This demonstrates the harmonious combination of external form and internal morality with a focus on human. ZHU Xi's views on
aesthetics have become an important aesthetic category in evaluating artistic style and realm.

Key words: ZHU Xi, rationalistic Confucian philosophy, aesthetic, comment, morality