Refactoring Aesthetics (Century Library)

Author: (German) Welsch (W.); Translated by Lu Yang, Zhang Yanbing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-04-01
Features: The Century Human Series encompasses five interfaces: "The Century Library," "The Century Frontier," "Miniature Classics," "University Classics," and "Open Humanities." Each series stands on its own yet complements the others. "Clarifying the lineage of Western thought and renewing the academic tradition of China" serves as the editorial principle of "The Century Library." The library is divided into two major book series: the Chinese series and the Western series. The Chinese series, starting from the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, comprehensively organizes academic works since modern China, aiming to provide a progressive framework for contemporary reflection on the social and spiritual conditions of modern China. The Western series aims to systematically translate classic texts from ancient Greece and Rome to the present, based on the overall process of Western civilization, thereby showcasing the emergence and evolution of Western thought traditions and laying a solid textual foundation for addressing the core issues of modern China. In parallel, "The Century Frontier" focuses on significant academic and intellectual topics and new developments since World War II, presenting recent achievements in various disciplines and the diverse dimensions of contemporary cultural trends. "Miniature Classics" collects classic works by renowned masters in distinctive styles, offering profound insights with engaging readability. This book is a seminal work by the renowned German postmodern philosopher Wolfgang Welsch on contemporary aesthetic issues. The author critically examines the phenomenon of aestheticization in the global context, elucidates the relationship between aesthetics, ethics, and philosophy, particularly focusing on aesthetic issues in modern architecture and art. The book explores new problems, new constructions, and new missions for aesthetics. The author argues that contemporary aesthetics is overly saturated and excessively pursues fashion, necessitating a reconfiguration of aesthetics. Aesthetics must transcend the boundaries of art and philosophy, encompassing daily life, perceptual attitudes, and media culture. Aesthetics must also pay attention to the development of contemporary technology and value the significant transformations in auditory and visual cultures.