On the "Heaven-Man Oneness" Worldview and the System of Cosmological Metaphors in Traditional Chinese Musical Thought

Abstract

Chinese philosophy holds the worldview that "Heaven and Man Are United as One", which is also the deep cognitive gene underlying traditional Chinese musical thought. From the perspective of cognitive linguistics, this paper examines how this "Heaven-Man Oneness" worldview constructs a tripartite cosmic cognitive framework —uniting Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—through metaphorical mechanisms. The study reveals that the "Heaven-Man Oneness" worldview shapes the cognitive mode of Chinese musical discourse by virtue of its three fundamental features: holistic thinking, dynamic generativity, and relational priority. Within this framework, Chinese musical discourse develops a four-dimensional metaphorical system: in its ontological dimension, music is conceived as an auditory mapping of cosmic order, with qi (vital force) permeating the connection between Heaven and Humanity, and he (harmony) integrating the four domains of nature, art, society, and the human mind; in its generative dimension, music is understood as the product of the flow of cosmic qi; in its functional dimension, music serves as a medium for communication between Heaven and Humanity; in its axiological dimension, the highest value of music lies in its attunement to cosmic order. This metaphorical system, with its interwoven ontological, generative, functional, and axiological dimensions, constitutes an Idealized Cognitive Model (ICM) of the cosmic worldview in Chinese musical discourse. This cognitive framework not only shapes the conceptual system and value standards of traditional Chinese music but also deeply permeates its aesthetic judgment and spiritual aspirations, thereby offering a new approach to understanding the distinctive cognitive logic of Chinese musical discourse.