<p>The “Wu-Gan” theory (物感, things influencing people) and “Gan-Wu” theory (感物, people influencing things) are pivotal concepts in Chinese aesthetics, but their contemporary conflation suggests that these theories remain insufficiently explored. Emerging within the cultural framework of the early Warring States period, the <i>Yue Ji</i> (《乐记》, <i>Record of Music</i>) establishes that the foundation of communication between humans and things in Zhou dynasty music and dance lies in the reciprocal interaction between the mind and things. This interaction is described as: “Things influence humans, and humans respond to things; humans influence things, and things respond to humans.” The text outlines two distinct modes: In the natural state, “Wu-Gan” focuses on how things evoke emotions in humans, marking the origin of the theory. In the social state, mutual influence between things and humans reflects the human subjective spirit. This subjective dimension is further expressed in the interpretation that “<i>ren hua wu</i>” (人化物) can be “<i>ren hua cheng wu</i>“(人化成物, the transformation of humans into things). Throughout the <i>Yue Ji</i>, there is a consistent caution toward human interaction with things, with the text opposing humans’ proactive emotional indulgence in things. The <i>Yue Ji</i> marks a significant milestone in art theory, being the first text to bestow ontological significance upon humans through a rational lens while also emphasizing the mysterious influence of things. This primal form of theory aspires toward the unity of mind and things (<i>xin-wu yi ti</i>, 心物一体) and has profoundly shaped the development of subsequent literary theories in China.</p>