Aesthetics Basics Tutorial

Author: Chief Editor: Zhao Shuhua
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-07-01
Features:
Segment: III. Methods of Learning Aesthetics
Learning aesthetics requires adhering to the principle of combining theory with practice and unifying logic with history. Under the guidance of these two principles, one must stay close to aesthetic practice, build a solid theoretical foundation, critically inherit the aesthetic ideas of predecessors, and study the relationship between aesthetics and other disciplines to accurately grasp the unique nature of aesthetics.
(1) Staying Close to Aesthetic Practice
The process of learning aesthetics is one that rises from perceptual understanding to rational understanding. After gaining rational understanding, it, in turn, guides our aesthetic practice, elevating it to a new level. Here, aesthetic practice is a central link—it serves as both the foundation for acquiring rational understanding and the standard for testing knowledge. The field of aesthetic practice is very broad. Among the fundamental practical activities are artistic activities. There are many artistic disciplines, such as calligraphy, painting, music, dance, theater, photography, sculpture, and poetry creation. You can focus on the artistic disciplines you are familiar with or passionate about, study their foundational knowledge, enhance your appreciation skills, gain aesthetic experience, and cultivate aesthetic sensitivity.
(2) Building a Theoretical Foundation
When learning aesthetics, special attention should be paid to the significance of Marxist philosophy in methodology. The theory of Marxist philosophy should serve as the foundation for our aesthetics. Aesthetic issues should be examined using Marxist methods, meaning that dialectical materialism should be used to study aesthetic phenomena concretely and historically, avoiding isolated and static approaches to problems. Therefore, when learning aesthetics, one must study Marxist and Leninist works diligently, not by learning a single book in isolation but by connecting them with other works by Marx and Engels and thinking coherently. The focus should be on establishing Marxist viewpoints and methods. Learning aesthetics requires not only correct research methods but also continuously enriching and mastering foundational aesthetic knowledge. Thus, we should have a broad exposure to classic works of aesthetics from ancient and modern times, as well as reviews and introductions to influential aestheticians and aesthetic schools from around the world. This is essentially a form of investigation and research, which can help us discern right from wrong, avoid detours, and serve as a reference for building a Marxist aesthetic system.
(3) Critically Inheriting the Aesthetic Ideas of Predecessors
Marxist aesthetics is the natural development of human aesthetic consciousness, aesthetic thought, and the theoretical explorations of pioneers. Summarizing and absorbing the valuable achievements and new scientific methods of predecessors is of great significance for constructing a Marxist aesthetic system. Learning aesthetics with an open research perspective, engaging with aesthetics from all directions and across time and cultures, can further promote the adaptation of the past to the present and the integration of foreign ideas into China, allowing aesthetics to better serve socialism and the people.
In the history of Western aesthetics, many famous aestheticians have emerged, whose works and original theories have made significant contributions to humanity. In 1750, Baumgarten's monograph Aesthetics, the first volume, was published in Germany, and the term "aesthetics" gradually gained academic recognition, establishing it as an independent discipline. Later, through the efforts of figures such as Kant, Hegel, and Chernyshevsky, aesthetic research progressed further, giving the discipline a more rigorous theoretical form.