宗白華是當代中國美學家中最能出入西方美學理論，且藉以研究中國傳統美學，賦予深刻理論詮釋的代表性學者，本文係透過中國儒道哲學的機體論形上學，探討宗白華如何深入中國藝術的生命核心，從而建構出具有中國民族特色的美學理論。文中試圖以「氣韻生動」和「意境美學」二大中國美學的命題論述宗白華所建構之氣韻生動的意境美學。文中分別從宗白華美學的學思歷程；「美」與「美感」的區別以及對「美學」的界說；宗白華對意境美之詮解；意境美學的核心命題「氣韻生動」以及宗白華以書法藝術為範例而對氣韻生動所做的解說等五面向來展開這一論述。

As the one contemporary Chinese aesthetician who understood the theories of western aesthetics most, Bai-hua Zong was renowned for studying traditional Chinese aesthetics in the light of western aesthetics and bestowing it with profound theoretical interpretation. This paper is to inquire how Bai-hua Zong reached deep into the vital core of Chinese art through the organist metaphysics of Chinese Confucian philosophy and accordingly construct the theories of aesthetics with Chinese characteristics. Here the two major theses of Chinese aesthetics, “lifelikeness” and “the realm aesthetics,” are combined with the realm aesthetics of lifelikeness that was constructed by Bai-hua Zong. This paper is to proceed this argument along the five aspects as follows: the progress of Zong’s aesthetics; the distinction between “beauty” and the “sense of beauty” as well as the definition of “aesthetics;” Zong’s interpretation about the beauty of the realm; the central thesis of the realm aesthetics, lifelikeness; and Zong’s exposition of lifelikeness as embodied in the art of calligraphy.