From Croce’s intuition to Zhu Guangqian’s Zhijue 直觉: A cross-cultural interpretation

Abstract

ABSTRACT Zhijue直觉 is the Chinese translation of the English word ‘intuition’. These two terms, however, do not hold completely equivalent meanings. Before this translation, traditional Chinese lacked a precise counterpart for the concept, though intuitive thinking has long been integral to Chinese culture. Consequently, Zhijue not only inherits the cultural connotations of the Western term ‘intuition’ but also integrates traditional Chinese intuitive thought. Translating intuition into zhijue goes beyond linguistic conversion—it reflects a cultural hybrid shaped by intercultural collision and fusion. This paper investigates how the concept of intuition, as developed in Croce’s aesthetics, is reinterpreted and adapted by Zhu Guangqian in the modern Chinese aesthetic context, generating new meanings. By tracking the cross-cultural journey of the term ‘intuition’, this study explores the comparative exchange between Western and Chinese ways of thinking and their cultural implications, offering insights into the traveling of concepts across cultures.