什么是文艺?什么是文艺的本质特征?对于文艺理论中这个牵动全局的根本问题,解放以来文艺理论教科书中的传统观点是:文艺是社会生活的形象反映,形象性是文艺区别于哲学、社会科学的本质特征.近几年来,我国文艺理论界为了建立具有自己民族特色的马克思主义文艺理论新体系,一方面认真研究了自己民族的传统文艺思想,另方面又批判吸收了西方近代美学思想,普遍认识到关于文艺的传统定义,只把文艺看作是种认识,是个明显偏重于理智、客观、再现的定义,其严重缺陷是忽视了文艺的表情方面.而我国古代文论中的“言志”说和“缘情”说,西方近代文论中的“表现”论和“移情”论,则都从情感着眼来考察文学艺术.因此探索文艺的情感问题,对更加科学地把握文艺的本质,是具有积极意义的.实际上,不少同志已经作出一定贡献. What is literature and art? What is the essential feature of literature and art? For the fundamental problem that affects the whole world in the theory of literature and art, the traditional viewpoints in textbook of literature and art since the liberation are: literature and art is the image reflection of social life; image is the difference between literature and art and philosophy and society In recent years, in order to establish a new system of Marxist theory of literature and art with its own national characteristics, on the one hand, the literary and art circles in our country have conscientiously studied their own nation’s traditional literary and art thoughts; on the other hand, they have absorbed western modern aesthetic thoughts critically, It is generally recognized that the traditional definition of literature and art only regards literature and art as a kind of knowledge and is a definition that clearly emphasizes intellect, objectivity and reproduction. The serious flaw is that it neglects the facial expressions of literature and art. As a result, the theories of “performance” and “empathy” in the modern Western literary theory all examine the literature and art from the perspective of emotion, therefore, it is of great significance to explore the emotional issue of literature and art and to grasp the literature and art more scientifically In fact, many comrades have made some contribution.