Chinese Aesthetics 2004.2, Issue 2 (Total Issue 2)

Author: Ruxin, Wang Desheng (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-11
Features: This issue of Chinese Aesthetics aims to cover a broad research scope while conducting in-depth studies on both Chinese and Western aesthetics, as well as practical aesthetics. To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Immanuel Kant's death, a special section on German aesthetics and Kantian aesthetics is included. Additionally, a series of papers on Chinese aestheticians such as Cai Yuanpei, Zhu Guangqian, and Jiang Kongyang are published, highlighting the role of Chinese aesthetics in contemporary aesthetic research. Two hundred years ago, the great German philosopher and aesthete Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) completed his "philosopher's journey" and passed away in K?nigsberg, the capital of East Prussia, which is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Over the past two centuries, in both the West and the East, the name "Kant" has remained unforgettable to those who love thought and pursue academia, to the extent that "returning to Kant" became a step in the revival of philosophy and aesthetics in the 20th century. If in the West, as the last great mentor of the Enlightenment, Kant emphasized the idea of human "self-liberation through knowledge," his great works such as Critique of Pure Reason, Critique of Practical Reason, Critique of Judgment, and Foundations of Metaphysics of Morals directly established his historical position as a key figure in German classical philosophy; then in the East, especially for 20th-century Chinese scholars, as Liang Qichao pointed out in his article The Doctrines of the Great Philosopher Kant in Modern Times, Kant was both the "savior of the dark age" and the "teacher of the ages." Kant and his doctrines not only directly inspired 20th-century Chinese scholars' modern understanding of the value of knowledge but also opened a new intellectual path for Chinese academia in the 20th century regarding the human condition. In terms of aesthetic development, in a certain sense, it can be said that the path of 20th-century Chinese aesthetics toward modern theoretical construction began with the conscious or unconscious acceptance of Kant's doctrines, particularly his ideas on the non-utilitarian and non-purposeful nature of aesthetics. For a century, the name "Kant" has been deeply embedded in the intellectual memory of modern Chinese aesthetic scholars, and Kantian aesthetics has become the most important intellectual foundation for Chinese aesthetics to embark on its modern journey and construct the modern theoretical landscape of "aesthetic China." Kantian aesthetics, which defines the non-utilitarian and non-purposeful nature of aesthetics, not only advanced the modern development of Chinese aesthetics in the early 20th century and prompted many Chinese aesthetic scholars to engage in new theoretical reflections on aesthetic and literary issues but also became the core and fundamental discourse in the construction of modern Chinese aesthetics, distinguishing it from classical Chinese aesthetics. For this reason, we see that from Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, and Cai Yuanpei to Zhu Guangqian, Zong Baihua, and then Li Zehou, the theoretical masters of 20th-century Chinese aesthetics almost all regarded Kant's doctrines and aesthetic concepts as specific resources for their aesthetic thinking. For instance, Zong Baihua was one of the earliest to introduce Kantian philosophy in Chinese periodicals, publishing The Essence of Kant's Idealist Philosophy and Kant's Spatial Idealism in the supplement of Morning News in May 1919. Many of Wang Guowei's discussions repeatedly emphasized the stance of non-utilitarian and non-purposeful aesthetics, and in Reviews, he elevated this Kantian aesthetic attitude to a life attitude that resists worldly suffering and transcends power and desire, vigorously advocating that "to escape the struggle of life's desires and attain temporary peace is the purpose of all arts." As for Cai Yuanpei, he directly absorbed and developed Kant's non-utilitarian aesthetic thought in his theory of aesthetic education, applying it to the transformation of the human spirit, society, and culture, as well as the reconstruction of Chinese spiritual values. He regarded the fundamental task of aesthetic education as cultivating and developing emotions that are not concerned with personal gain or loss, thereby eliminating selfish desires and achieving harmony between humans and nature and society. By the 1980s, Li Zehou's theory of "subjectivity" was clearly based on his deep understanding of Kant's critical philosophy constructed through the "three critiques." His work Kantian Philosophy and the Framework of Subjectivity Theory specifically demonstrated the intrinsic connection between "subjectivity practice aesthetics" and Kantian thought. From the significant impact of Li Zehou's aesthetics on the development of Chinese aesthetics in the last two decades of the 20th century, we can see the close relationship between 20th-century Chinese aesthetics and Kant, as well as his doctrines, until the end of the century. Here, we must also pay attention to another fact: in the history of aesthetics, Kant was the first to shift the focus of aesthetic inquiry toward the examination of subjective aesthetic capacity. Using transcendental synthesis, he emphasized the role of aesthetic judgment as the common source of beauty and aesthetic feeling, situating the understanding of beauty and aesthetic feeling in human subjective ability, and proposed a series of aesthetic propositions and questions such as aesthetic experience, aesthetic imagery, imagination, and genius, thereby achieving a humanistic turn in the field of aesthetics. This major change not only directly brought about a profound transformation in 20th-century Western aesthetics but also had a profound impact on the modern theoretical construction of Chinese aesthetics since the 20th century, specifically influencing the expansion of modern Chinese aesthetic research into the field of psychology. Not only did Zhu Guangqian, in his book Psychology of Literature, extensively discuss the characteristics of aesthetic experience, imagination, emotion, and aesthetic imagery—concepts creatively proposed and deeply explored by Kant in Critique of Judgment—but also, due to the conscious or unconscious acceptance of Kantian aesthetics, the study of aesthetic psychology by Chinese aesthetic scholars since the 1920s began to combine with the traditional Chinese aesthetic research tradition that emphasized artistic experience. A group of modern Chinese aesthetic scholars, including Zong Baihua and Zhu Guangqian, conducted insightful analyses of the aesthetic characteristics and artistic value of various traditional Chinese arts, forming a peak in the process of 20th-century Chinese aesthetics and greatly advancing the academic depth of modern Chinese aesthetics in the fields of art theory and criticism. Without a doubt, the relationship between Kant and Kantian philosophy and aesthetics with 20th-century Chinese aesthetics is both direct and profound. Therefore, today, when we examine and explore the academic process of 20th-century Chinese aesthetics and its pursuit of modern theoretical construction, the influence of Kant and his doctrines must inevitably be considered an indispensable aspect. If we wish to continue the academic efforts of Chinese aesthetics over the past century and further advance the theoretical construction and intellectual deepening of aesthetics in China in the future, we cannot bypass or ignore Kant—just as the modernist discourse of Western aesthetics after Kant has always been intertwined with the modernity demands of Kantian aesthetics. Similarly, the modern construction of Chinese aesthetics also requires a serious review and exploration of Kantian doctrines and their modern significance for Chinese aesthetics. On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Kant's death, we have published three articles: The Development of Kantian Aesthetic Thought, "Beauty as a Symbol of Morality," and Freedom in Kantian Aesthetics, as a sincere tribute to this great philosopher and aesthete, as well as to express our profound respect for Kantian aesthetics and our sincere pursuit of Kantian thought. In this issue, research on Chinese aesthetics (including the thought of 20th-century Chinese aestheticians) occupies a considerable portion. Although the articles published in this journal are not limited to the study of "Chinese aesthetics," we have always advocated that as Chinese aesthetic scholars, efforts to discover and deeply explore the issues of Chinese culture and aesthetics, and to theoretically pursue the Chinese characteristics of aesthetic inquiry and theoretical construction, should be a fundamental stance. Such a "Chinese characteristic" can naturally only be presented through a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of Chinese aesthetic theory and history. In the era of globalization, our aesthetic vision is global, and at the same time, contemporary Chinese aesthetics facing the world must maintain a profound excavation of its own intellectual history and theoretical resources, using them as the intrinsic foundation for the deepening of contemporary Chinese aesthetic theory. Only in this way can our aesthetics and aesthetic research today truly generate constructive value. Based on this, we hope that Chinese Aesthetics can do more specific work in this regard in the future and also hope to receive strong support from friends in the field of aesthetics.