"Paris Manuscript" And The Theoretical Construction Of Contemporary China's Aesthetics

The thesis aims at study of the forms of aesthetical theory of contemporary China. A deep study on development of aesthetics of contemporary China could be approached from many sides and angles. Here, this thesis focuses on the Paris Manuscript's contribution to the construction of aesthetical theory of contemporary China. Marx's Paris Manuscript gives many-sided plays in promotion of contemporary Chinese aesthetics. Whereas we hold that Manuscript's mighty propelling of contemporary Chinese aesthetics is, first and foremost, or mainly,embodied in formation and renewal of theoretical forms of aesthetics. We can say, the theory system of all major aesthetical schools of contemporary China originated in the elaboration of Manuscript's aesthetical thought. We hold that, viewed from the form of aesthetical theory, contemporary Chinese aesthetics might approximately be classified into three forms: epistemological aesthetics, practical aesthetics and axiological aesthetics.First, epistemological aesthetics is an important theoretical form of contemporary China's aesthetics. It's also an important paradigm of contemporary china's aesthetical study. This is the first trial study that Chinese aestheticists applied Marxist basic principle in literature, arts and aesthetics study. Their aim was to establish China's scientific Marxism literature, arts and aesthetics system, namely, the so-called "Neo-aesthetics." Epistemological aesthetics holds that human's act of aesthetical appreciation is a sort of epistemological activity. Naturally, epistemology lays the philosophical foundation for aesthetical theory. According to Engels, the basic issue of philosophy is the relation between thinking and being, namely, the contention between materialism and idealism. Such an issue is the very one that epistemological aesthetics intended to solve. It was under such a theoretical background that people took the same action to simplify aesthetical issue as one whether beauty lies in physics or mind, or, that beauty lies in either physics or mind. Thus, with the hot debate on aesthetics in 1950s-1960s, four representative viewpoints were formed,among which Cai Yi's epistemological aesthetical theory is most systematic.Cai Yi's epistemological standpoints were throughout his works on aesthetical principle, and other works on literature and arts. We can see: 1, Cai Yi's epistemological aesthetics was based on the criticism of old aesthetics. The so-called old aesthetics stands for idealism aesthetics. Starting from materialism point of view,Cai Yi lays the cornerstone for aesthetics. From this view we regard Cai Yi's aesthetics as objectivism aesthetics; 2, The theoretical foundation for epistemological aesthetics is Lenin's theory of reflection. Thus, objectivism aesthetics forms its basic view, namely, holding that aesthetical appreciation activity is the realization of objective substance with beauty. Mr. Cai Yi persists in this basic standpoint for all his life, holding this the Marxism basic principle; 3, Taking direct resources from Engels's art theory of realism and Marx's aesthetic thoughts on "aesthetical law,"epistemological aesthetics forms its theory core of aesthetics. From artistic viewpoint,epistemological aesthetics emphasizes that art is a sort of epistemological representation, a reflection of essence of reality, and typification of reality.The second theoretical form of contemporary China's aesthetics is practical aesthetics. Different from epistemological aesthetics, practical aesthetics takes Marxist practical philosophy as its theory frame, examining aesthetical appreciation within the context of human social and historical practical activity. Practical aesthetics was put forward in 1950's-1960's hot debate on aesthetics. The earliest conceiver of Chinese practical aesthetics is Zhu Guangtian who holds the view, the unity of subjectivity and objectivity. Zhu Guangtian, starting from his own aesthetical thought, with absorption of Marx's theory, "the mode of artistic mastery of the world",proposed that art is a sort of productive labor. Li Zehou, Liu Gangji, and Jiang Kongyang also did their study on practical aesthetics. On the whole, Li Zehou's anthropology-practice ontological aesthetics is the representative of practical aesthetics, and hence most influential in contemporary China.Li Zehou's basic thoughts on practical aesthetics could be unfolded in the following points: 1, Practical aesthetics is the further deepening of epistemological aesthetics. He emphasized that aesthetical appreciation objective is relative to human social and historical activity. Later on, he further emphasized that human social practice determines his aesthetical appreciation activity, namely, practice occupies the ontological position in aesthetical appreciation activity; 2, Practical aesthetics holds that the essence of beauty is closely relative to the essence of human. The essence of beauty lies in humanization of nature, in other word, beauty is objectification of essence of human; 3, In aesthetic perception, practical aesthetics lays emphasis on subjectivity of human, namely, the social, cultural and psychological composition of subjectivity of aesthetical appreciator; 4, Practical aesthetics holds the perceptive ontology.The third theoretical form is axiological aesthetics. Axiological aesthetics is the synthesization and promotion of epistemological and practical aesthetics. Though it was proposed in the early period of hot aesthetic debate, axiological aesthetics became the true theoretical horizon in the mid and later 1980's. Aesthetics'axiological transformation started from people's exploration of human value, hence,aesthetics became "the study of human." Under such background Marx's Paris Manuscript's "alienation" theory was a hot debate. In addition, the introduction of modem axiological philosophy in China enabled the axiological study be paid unprecedented attention, thus, aesthetics was transformed axiologically. Contemporary China's axiological aesthetics can be characterized as follows: 1,Axiological aesthetics holds that aesthetic appreciation is a sort of value creation,namely, the creative activity of aesthetic appreciation value. Whereas aesthetic appreciation activity is an axiological evaluation activity, a sort of aesthetic appreciation subjectivity's evaluation activity of objectivity; 2, Marx's objectivism theory, especially his manuscript's objectivism theory, is the theoretical base of axiological aesthetics; 3, Aesthetical appreciation value is the core of study of axiological aesthetics. Aesthetical appreciative evaluation is the final realization of aesthetical appreciation value. 4, Human aesthetical appreciation and evaluation activity that are usually unfolded around aesthetic appreciation value have five characters: value evaluativity, value idealization, value humanity, value relativity and value macroscopicality; 5, In literature and art study, literary and artistic value becomes the important study issue. Culture Study becomes the major strategy in literature and art study.The thesis consists of three parts: Introduction, Body and Conclusion. The Introduction mainly includes the following three sections: an account of the origin,significance and study mode of the thesis; an account of Marx's Paris Manuscript's sifting, publishing and different editions of Chinese character; and an account of historical evolution of theoretical forms of contemporary Chinese aesthetics. The Body has five chapters. Chapter 1, "Paris Manuscript and Epistemological Aesthetics of Contemporary China," mainly expounds Manuscript's contribution to the construction of contemporary china's epistemological aesthetics. The Chapter dwells upon a look back on the course of growing of epistemological aesthetics, a detailed introduction and deep analysis of contemporary Chinese aestheticists' research on the topic "Aesthetical Law" proposed in Manuscript, and finally "Aesthetical Law" the formulation's contribution to Cai Yi's theoretical construction of epistemological aesthetics. Chapter 2, "Paris Manuscript and Contemporary China's Practical Aesthetics" mainly expounds Manuscript's contribution to the theoretical construction of Chinese practical aesthetics. First, this chapter gives a complete analysis and research of different schools of Chinese practical aesthetics. Second, the chapter deeply examines Chinese aestheticists' study result on the topic "humanization of nature." Third, the chapter discusses "humanization of nature" the formulation's contribution to Li Zehou's construction of theory of practical aesthetics. Chapter 3, "Paris Manuscript and Axiological Aesthetics of Contemporary China (â… )," mainly looks back on 20th century China's research on the aesthetic value,pointing out that axiological aesthetics has been becoming the new form of present China's aesthetical theory. Chapter 4, "Paris Manuscript and Axiological Aesthetics of Contemporary China" (â…¡), from modern axiological point of view, re-examines the issue "alienation" proposed in Manuscript, doing deep research on the topic "alienation" within the context of Marx's axiological aesthetics. Chapter 5, "Paris Manuscript and Axiological Aesthetics of Contemporary China (â…¢)", mainly discusses Marx's objectivism theory and its contribution to the theoretical construction of contemporary China's axiological aesthetics. The part Conclusion summarizes the main content of the thesis, briefly explaining the relevant issues as well.