The
mainstream poetics of the Song Dynasty is estab lished on t he basis of reason, with logic and knowledge playing key
roles within. On the pr emise of the considerable progress of natural science and speculative philosophy , Song scholars have retained and developed a continuous interest in “li" (reason). The so-called “li" can be divided into three layer s: idea, daily reason, a nd their relevant ways of expression. Different from Song's upholding of reason, poetics of the Ming Dynasty shows more concern for experience of poetry composi tion. The Seven-men School believes that artistic practices of Hanwei and High T ang dynasties have followed certain law of art, and if later generations are to reveal it or make new laws, they will have to examine in detail Hanwei's archaic poetry and High Tang's lüshi, from which they are expected to disc over certain order and follow it. Wang Fuzhi establishes his own poetics after Song and Ming , and his theoretical speculations are above all on the defects of the mainstrea m poetics of Song and Ming. Wang holds
aesthetic intuition in esteem, denying th at one has to make a choice either from the principle of reason or rules of expe rience; he is devoted to overcoming the conflicts between the two, and he lifts aesthetic intuition to a superior status which is beyond such conflicts. Wang so lemnly introduces the Buddhist concept of “Pratyaksapramana" into p oe tics, which shows that he pays unusual attention to the directness of feeling.