First of all, the core content of the two is different. The pre-Qin Confucian music aesthetics focused on "ceremony" and "music", while the Han Confucian music aesthetics paid more attention to nature. In the pre-Qin period, the Confucian music thought aimed at "ceremony" and "music", which reflected the important thought of "paying equal attention to ceremony and music, and benefiting both ceremony and music" in Confucian traditional culture. In the Han Dynasty, Confucian music aesthetics put more emphasis on nature, which may be influenced by Taoist thought, such as "Taoism is natural" proposed by Laozi.
Secondly, the application scope of the two is similar. Confucian music aesthetics, whether in pre-Qin or Han Dynasty, was mainly used in large-scale sacrificial ceremonies and ceremonial activities. In these two periods, music was regarded as an important tool to maintain social order and strengthen moral norms.
In addition, although there are some differences between them, there are also some similarities. For example, Confucian music aesthetics in pre-Qin and Han dynasties emphasized the importance of music to social harmony and moral promotion. In addition, they all think that music can educate and influence people.
To sum up, although the pre-Qin Confucian music aesthetics and the Han Confucian music aesthetics are different in core content and scope of application, they still have similarities in some basic concepts.