ABSTRACT
To understand the significance of Chinese calligraphy, think of how a medium that is used by every educated Chinese to formulate and communicate ideas, feelings, and values might itself be used to embody these expressions of the mind-heart. Insofar as calligraphy integrates the content and form of thought, bridging the gap between saying and showing, it may be seen as an embodied philosophy. The aesthetic values that theorists have emphasized in the practice of calligraphy have changed from period to period, reflecting changing philosophical agendas. Nevertheless, certain features of the practice and assumptions about it have remained constant.
