Principles of Minimalist Aesthetics

Author: Wang Huaitong, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1995-01-01
Features: The dialectical unity of historical and logical elements is an indispensable scientific method of thinking and also one of the methodological foundations of aesthetics. Marxist philosophy holds that historical elements refer to the historical development process of objective things, while logical elements refer to the reflection of the historical process in the form of logical thinking. To dialectically unify the two is not only an effective method for the study of social sciences but also for natural sciences. Engels pointed out: "Where history begins, the thought process should also begin, and the further development of the thought process is merely a reflection of the historical process in an abstract, theoretically consistent form; this reflection is modified, yet it is modified according to the laws of the actual historical process itself. At this point, each element can be examined at the point where it is fully mature and takes on its canonical form." Most of Marx and Engels' discussions on aesthetics and literary and artistic arts are products of the combination of historical and logical elements. Theory should be combined with practice. Aesthetic research should take Marxism as a guide, focusing on collecting and studying historical or contemporary aesthetic and artistic phenomena, identifying patterns and conclusions from a wealth of facts, thereby guiding aesthetic practice and artistic creation.