Abstract The awakening of self-consciousness is the best realisation for human beings in pursuing immortality – by foregoing the pursuit of individual fame as the purpose of life, and seeking self-improvement of moral personality, with the focus on insight. During the Wei, Jin Northern and Southern dynasties, Taoist metaphysics sprung up and Buddhism also appeared: the general development trends of academic ideology in China had undergone a period of significant change. The frame of Confucian classics study was smashed, the free spirit of human beings enhanced, and the self-consciousness of literature further developed. The study of literature is not dependent upon the study of the Confucian classics. Rather, it demonstrates independence of character and graceful demeanour. Ruan Ji possessed a uniquely outstanding and independent character, unaffected by circumstance. Hence, the value and meaning of life became a problem worth rethinking for Ruan. There must be some people daring enough to shoulder their responsibility during turmoil. Even though time has passed some several hundred years, their reputation still exists. The period from the end of the Ming Dynasty to the beginning of the Qing Dynasty was a world-shaking epoch of Chinese history. An orthodox Han Chinese empire was overturned and a new minority dynasty on horseback rapidly arose. Academics could only express the national integrity and their desolate and angry feelings via their literary works. The Selective Ancient Poems Written in the Cai Shu House, compiled by Chen Zuoming, indirectly conveyed Chen’s national feeling in the annotations. Confusion from an unpredictable future, frightening for the unsecured situation, individual insignificance and powerlessness in the fluctuating epoch are all presented in the poems. This is a noble spirit, enabling people to transcend themselves in hardship, generating a strong sense of dignity and mission. The social and political environment surrounding Ruan Ji and Chen Zuoming was similar; being of that era, the circumstances had a far-reaching impact on their ideologies and attitude towards life. Of the 82 poems penned by Ruan Ji included in Chen Zuoming’s The Selective Ancient Poems Written in the Cai Shu House the work expresses a sense of helplessness, belief in destiny and the psychical trauma of academics that could not be easily described. It is thought that through political tyranny Ruan Ji and Chen Zuoming could cultivate the perseverance of the academic spirit and foster an appreciative attitude towards a cruel society. This benefits them by generating an extreme morality and encourages them to use ‘cruelty’ (including self-abuse) for self-improvement. This is a pathological passion under abnormal political circumstances. With accumulated knowledge and the realisation of truth, scholars enjoyed a rapport, emerging with a tacit agreement regarding important problems, and even reaching the same ends by different means. Apart from the rational aspects, they shared a strong similarity in life experience. They used a harsh attitude to observe reality and deliberately highlighted negative aspects. Meanwhile, both of these literary methods boast redolent colours. Character is fate. Ruan Ji can only be Ruan Ji, while Chen Zuoming can only be Chen Zuoming, and cannot be someone else. In them, I can see awareness of people; although there are no great achievements, there is a steady emotion like a small but steady stream, a very sincere deep feeling. There’s no why, only hope that man can act like man. Life is learning. No matter moral life or so called ideal life, it is a life related to idealism and reality, freedom and law. At the same time, it is a life that takes them both into account; once you learn from this kind of life then you can truly understand both Ruan Ji and Chen Zuoming. Key words: The Selective Ancient Poems Written in the Cai Shu House, independent personality, moral life, adherent, sincere, Ruan Ji, Chen Zuoming

人的自我意識的覺醒正是追求人生不朽的最好體認。不以功效為目標 ，追求自我道德人格的完成 ，盡其在我 。 魏晉南北朝時期 ，玄學興起、佛教傳入 ，學術思想的時代主流發生重大轉變。經學的藩籬被打破，人的自由精神增強，文學的自覺意識一步發展。文學研究不再是經學的附庸，而顯示出獨立的品格與綽約的風度。阮籍表現出的是一種卓特獨立的人格特徵，不為時勢所左右，正因如此，人生的價值和意義對於阮籍才成為一個必須重新思索的問題。總有一些人物， 當着狂瀾既倒 ， 毅然承擔， 即令數百年後，依然清氣猶存。明末清初，在中國歷史上是一個翻天覆地的時代。一個正統的漢民族王朝被推翻，一個在馬背上興起的少數民族新王朝迅速崛起，學者只能在著述中寄託民族氣節與孤憤情懷。陳祚明撰寫《 采菽堂古詩選》，只能在注釋中曲折地表明自己的民族感情 。未來不可預測的蒼茫，朝夕不保的惶恐，走投無路的傷痛，個人在時代動蕩中的渺小感和無力感，都在其詩歌中有大量表現。這是一種崇高的精神體驗，使人從所遭遇的憂患困境中超越出來，產生強烈的尊嚴感和使命感 。 阮籍和陳祚明二人所處社會政治環境有着相似之處，經歷那一個時代，對於他們的思想和生活態度不能不發生重大的影響。從陳祚明先生撰寫《采菽堂古詩選》包含阮籍詠懷詩八十二首中來看，士人的命運之感，其精神創傷都是不可待言的。不妨認為，阮籍和陳祚明兩人處於政治暴虐之下，非但培養了士人的堅忍，而且培養了他們對殘酷的欣賞態度，助成了他們極端的道德主義，鼓勵了他們以“酷”(包括自虐)為道德的自我完成─ ─畸形政治下的病態激情。事實與認識的積累，使得有識之士在不止一個重大問題上產生默契、暗合，甚至是殊途同歸 。不僅在理性認識上，更是在生命體驗上強烈認同。他們對現實觀察流於苛刻 ，刻意突出負面 ，同時兩者具有懷古色彩 。 性格即命運 ，阮籍只能是阮籍 ，陳祚明只能是陳祚明，而不能成為別人 。在他們身上 ，我看到人的覺醒， 雖然沒有豐功偉業 ，有的只是細水長流的情感，一份很真摯的深情。不為甚麼，希望人能為人 。人生就是一門學問。道德人生，或稱之為理想人生，此乃一種理想與現實，自由與規律，同時也是兼顧並重的人生，這樣才能真正理解阮籍和陳祚明兩人 。 關鍵詞：《采菽堂古詩選》、獨立人格、道德人生、遺民、真摯、阮籍 、陳祚明