Artistic Existence - A Comparative Study of Chinese and Western Aesthetic Cultures

Author: Nie Zhenbin / Teng Shouyao / Zhang Jiangang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features: This book offers a comprehensive reflection on the past and present of contemporary Western and Chinese cultures from the perspective of Sino-Western cultural comparison, proposing a strategic approach to artistic living and revealing the essence of aesthetic culture. The book is divided into six parts and nineteen chapters, but in terms of content, it mainly consists of four parts.
Part I (the first part) discusses and describes the dialectical relationship between culture and modernization as a whole, pointing out that the modernization of science and technology does not equate to the modernization of culture. The sign of cultural modernization lies in whether it has become a true aesthetic culture.
Part II (the second and third parts) reflects on the aesthetic characteristics of Chinese culture and the collision between Chinese and Western cultures over the past century. It argues that comparing and judging the differences between the two cultures solely based on superiority and inferiority is far from sufficient. Their distinctions are shaped by multiple factors, including ethnicity, history, society, and geography. From a historical and holistic perspective, both cultures have their strengths and weaknesses, and they should be in a relationship of equal dialogue.
Part III (the fourth and fifth parts) first reviews the discussions and definitions of aesthetic culture by Western scholars, then evaluates how Western culture has been alienated during the process of modernization and how people have compensated for this through the development of aesthetic culture.
Part IV (the sixth part) proposes their own definition of aesthetic culture and offers a series of constructive suggestions on how to build aesthetic culture.