「形」についての小考

Abstract

In the painting theory in China, it was possible to describe the situation of Qi 氣 of the painter by the way of his drawing the picture, as Qi and Form 形 were considered as parts of a continuum. However, the form in the painting was also considered to be independent and separated from the body, the Spirit 神, and Qi. When we think about the relation between Qi and Form, it would be difficult to explain why Qi, originally thought to be non-form, could become a "Form" (a form which appears in the picture), primarily due to the gap between Form and Qi. The conception that Form is independent from Qi can be termed "box model". If we consider the relation between the two from a philosophical perspective, "box model" refers to the conception of separateness between the box (Form) and the contents (Qi), i.e., the box (Form) separates from the contents (Qi). On the other hand, an alternative model, termed "Non-box model", also called "thought of Qi", does also exist to highlight the conception of continuity, that is, Qi and Form were considered as parts of a continuum. Both models that have been well adopted in Chinese philosophy can be used to deal with the problem of thoughts and the relation between Form and Qi in the painting theory. This paper will examine these two models in relation to the meanings of Form.