Brief History of Chinese Aesthetics in a Century

Author: Zhang Qiqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: This book is a history of modern Chinese aesthetics since 1900. Unlike similar works, the author summarizes the development of Chinese aesthetic thought over a century into three paths. The first is represented by Wang Guowei, Zong Baihua, and Xu Fuguan, who sought the possibility of the mind's emergence from traditional Chinese aesthetic thought. The second is represented by Zhu Guangqian and others, who constructed Chinese aesthetics using Western aesthetic thought. The third is represented by Li Zehou and others, who used Marxist theory to explain and construct Chinese aesthetics. All three paths have achieved remarkable results, but the author believes that history has proven the first path to be the right course for the development of Chinese aesthetics, and Zong Baihua's exploration of Chinese aesthetics also represents the pinnacle of Chinese aesthetics over the past century. This book aims to present the value and significance of academic history, using the current state of Chinese aesthetic research as a basis for critique and reflection, and attempts to find an inherent inertia and theory within the Chinese academic tradition. It provides a historical reference for the construction of Chinese aesthetics in the 21st century. The author hopes to evoke awe and shock in the hearts of those engaged in academic research.