Abstract: Nature, both in Chinese and foreign literary theory and criticism, has always been an important category. The recent hot topic “ecological ethics” ponders the moral relationship between man and nature. Academia at home and abroad, though analysing Alexander Pope’s proposition of “follow NATURE” in his masterpiece An Essay on Criticism, seldom makes a further differentiation of the relationship between nature and human’s moral values. Neither does it put forward and research on the aesthetic connection between human spirit, human expression and nature. This article plans to stand in the position of a Chinese scholar and makes a comparative study between Pope’s claim of “follow NATURE” and Chinese critic Liu Xie’s literary principle of “Original Tao” from the perspective of ecological ethics. It is found that both of the two masters embody the basic spirit of advocating nature, following the natural rules and trying to put forward artistic creation principles and ways of aesthetic production based on the essence of nature and the ethical, moral relationship between man and nature. It is illustrated that though the two writers lived in different ages, countries and societies with different cultural backgrounds, their literary concepts and aesthetic principles share in resemblance. They both, through their respective masterpieces, pursue a mental state of harmonious unity between nature and human beings, whose views still nourish and give us enlightenment.

Keywords: An Essay on Criticism; follow Nature; Wenxindiaolong; Original Tao; ecological ethics

摘要： “自然”是中外文论研究和评述的重要范畴，近年来出现的热门话题“生态伦理”深入思考了人与自然之间的道德关系。学界虽然研究了蒲柏在其代表作《论批评》中提出的“法自然”的观点，却较少从生态伦理的角度进一步辨析自然与人的道德关系以及心、言和自然之间的审美联系。本文站在中国学者的立场，将蒲柏“法自然”的诗学观点与刘勰的“原道”批评原则相结合，从生态伦理学的角度切入，发现两位作家在其代表作中都体现了崇尚自然的基本精神，同时也提出了建立在自然之道和人与自然关系的伦理之道基础上的艺术创作原则及审美之道。本文旨在说明，尽管两位作家生活的时代、国度和社会、文化背景各不相同，但是他们的文学观念及审美原则存在着共通之处，都追求以生态伦理为依据，形成和谐统一的精神境界，他们的看法至今仍给人以启迪和教益。

关键词: 《论批评》, 法自然, 《文心雕龙》, 原道, 生态伦理