曹丕在《典論論文》中所創先提出的「文氣說」，不但帶來了「文學的自覺」，也同時促成了「美學的自覺」。歷來討論美學自覺的問題，多半著重於《典論論文》是第一篇美學專論，從此使得美學脫離倫理學、哲學範疇而成為獨立學科。這是以其理論的創發性，論及美學在觀念認知上的存在自覺，屬於外緣的論述。本文則從曹丕「文氣說」的美學理論結構和其意涵入手，試圖經由其中所標誌的「美」的價值自覺；以及人之審美意識的覺醒，為美學的自覺尋得內因上的論據。 全文針對曹丕所提出的「文以氣為主」一命題而發，認為此概念之提出，一方面是將對「文」及「美」的討論提升到本體論的層次，為「文」及「美」的本身找到了價值的根源，使之從工具成了目的；另一方面又因為強調內在於人的才性之「氣」，而使得一個充分尊重作家與作品之個性特徵的審美意識得以覺醒。「美」事本身價值自覺，和人的審美意識覺醒，兩相會合起來，所謂「美學的自覺」。才有充分、堅實的論證，這是曹丕文氣說在美學上所接櫫的意涵所在，也是曹丕整個美學理論的總綱。

In “Dianlun Lunwen”, Cao Pi’s innovative theory of “wenqi”did not only bring up the awareness of literature but also promoted the awareness of aesthetics. Previous studies on the awareness of aesthetics emphasize that “dianlun lunwen”is the first essay to extract aesthetics from ethics and philosophy as an independent subject of learning. Based on the genesis of Cao Pi’s theory, they discuss cognitively the existence of the awareness of aesthetics, providing an explanation of external problem of the theory. However, this article tries to find internal evidence of the aesthetic awareness in Cao Pi’s “wenqi” theory, by means of an analysis of the aesthetical structure and meaning of the theory and people’s awakening of aesthetics. This article asserts that the concept of “qi” could ascend text and beauty of an essay up to the level of ontology and transforms text and beauty from means to aims on the one hand. On the other hand, the concept stresses the internal “qi” of a writer which awakes the sense of aesthetics that respects fully to the characteristics of the writer and his/her works. That the awareness of the aesthetic value combines with the awakening of individual’s aesthetics will enable the alleged awareness of aesthetics becomes self-sufficient theory. That is the essence of Cao Pi’s “wenqi” theory on aesthetics and also the center of Cao Pi’s theory of aesthetics.