A Study On Internal Sense Theory In Eighteenth Century British Aesthetics

This paper mainly explores the formation,construction,function and critical of the theory of internal sense in 18th-century British aesthetics.Previous views have focused on the result of the theory that there are senses of beauty and goodness inherent in the human mind.However,there’s little discussion on the origin,function influence and the trace of this theory,which makes the value of the theory not fully demonstrated.Therefore,the paper will focus on the development and logic of the theory of internal sense.The first chapter introduces the background of the theory of internal sense of British aesthetics in the 18th century,that is,the reason why the theory of internal sense was born at that time.First of all,in the 17th and 18th centuries,the technology and economy were rapidly developed in the United Kingdom.The consumption level was gradually increased,leading to the unnecessary and conspicuous consumption behavior.The extravagance styles of British aristocracies were propagandized by the media,which has caused the cultural atmosphere into an impetuous and vulgar tendency.This rampant low-level aesthetic fashion arouses philosophers’ conscience and sense of duty to change the secular society.With the decline of scholasticism,the authority of traditional theology was being challenged.Egoism came into being,which advocated carnal desires and advocated "evil virtues".As a result,the notion of beauty and goodness needed to be maintained by new theories,which accelerated the construction of the theory of internal sense.The Enlightenment advocated a scientific method of understanding,asserted to appeal to experience,opposed to superstition,and rerecognized the ability of the human mind.All of these provide inspirations and research methods for the construction of the theory of internal sense.The second chapter summarizes three constructional clues of the theory of internal sense—soulism,introspectionism,internal and reflective senses—based on the quotations of 18th-century aestheticians,in order to clarify the lingering charm of texts in 18th century.This paper focuses on how 18th-century British scholars drew upon these clues to develop the theory of internal sense.First of all,Plato denounced the body and praised the soul,but believed that the soul can be separated from the flesh and resurrected from death,while Aristotle thought that body and soul could not be apart,so scholars in the 18th century generally believed that internal sense and soul are superior to the body,but could not exist without it.Secondly,in ancient Rome,Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius both believed that a strong heart can overcome any difficulties,ignoring the object and generating spiritual power.Thus,Shaftesbury and Hutcheson supposed that the ultimate goal of internal sense was to pursue happiness in life and inner peace.Augustine and Thomas Aquinas both believed that internal workings and outer senses had different physiological mechanisms,and they had analyzed the elements of the human mind,so scholars in the 18th century used the term internal sense to describe the faculty of mind,which were related to the body,without the aid of other spiritual entities.Locke’s theory of reflective sense inspired directly Shaftesbury and Hutcheson,so the internal sense has the same characteristics with reflective sense to perceive secondary quality.These three directions can also explain the nature of the internal sense.Chapter three explores the function of the internal sense.First of all,the internal sense has advanced aesthetic appreciation.Shaftesbury,the pioneer of the theory ofinternal sense,believes that the inner eyes direct to a kind of high-level aesthetic ability,and can make immediate judgements on the beauty and ugliness of things and the quality of works of art.Hutcheson,the initiator of the theory of internal sense,proposed the sense of beauty and the sense of morality.The sense of beauty can be directly stimulated by beauty and things that have "uniformity in diversity",and produce the feeling of beauty;the moral sense,which will produce pleasure in behaviors that conform to "benevolence",will not be affected by the appearance of goodness,and concerns about human beings as a species having the broadest and far-reaching significance.Moral sense has the priority among all the internal senses.Thus,it also constrains the sense of beauty,so that people’s sense of beauty can’t contradict with moral sense.For individuals,the moral sense guides to the genuine happiness of man.Luxury and prosperity are the happiness of the external sense,which is short-lived and not ever lasting.Secondly,the internal sense is prior and disinterested.That it is prior means that it is a function of human beings.It perceives ideas of beauty,ugliness,good and evil directly and immediately,and does not require scientific and logical proof.It is enough to rely only on people’s daily experience.Disinterestedness means that the sense of pleasure is antecedent to advantage or interest,sinse there is a final cause of universe that trace individuals’beauty and moral senses,and let them pursue good taste and moral sentiment and enjoy the things agreeable with the final cause.Common sense is a kind of judgment inherent in the human heart,which is the first principle of human reason and behavior.If reason is inconsistent with common sense,it must give way to common sense.Since the internal sense is consistent with the laws of the universe,when facing natural aesthetic,the theory of internal sense supposes to appreciate the rules of nature and the rhythm which contain in the natural things.As for the moral sense,desire is evil if it violates the laws,so the theory of internal sense advocates to moderate the desire rather than indulge it,which is unlike the egoists of that time.In the later stage of the theory,Gerard put forward the proposition of "seven internal senses",which combined the theory of internal sense with the theories of Burke and Allison.He has developed the theory of internal sense,but also made the concept of internal sense irrelevant,and indirectly destroys it.The fourth chapter analyzes the reflection and criticism of the theory of internal sense,and the development of the theory in 18th century and later.As a representative of the philosophy of sentiment,Hume’s analysis of impressions and ideas made him gradually separate from the theory of internal sense in epistemology.He used his own doctrine of pleasure to gradually replace what has established by the theory of internal sense.As a representative of transcendental philosophy,Kant believed that the theory of internal sense is too empirical,and Kant wanted to find a transcendental basis for internal sense,which can be regarded as an extension of "priority ".As a representative of the linguistic analysis,Reid pointed out that the internal sense made a "general word"error in terminology,and made a logical error of analogy.Philosophers use the theory of internal sense to construct their own theoretical systems,but in fact the theory of internal sense has lost its original function in its own theoretical system,which weakens the explanatory power.After the 18th century,somaesthetics,psychology and logics have shaken the academic status of the theory of internal sense,and psychology has become a more concerned research angle.Somaesthetics questions the subject-object dichotomy employed by the theory of internal sense,arguing that the theory ignores bodily dimension.Intuitionists believe that the internal experience is important and real,but the standards of it is erratic and close to mysticism.The correct way is to transform negative mysticism into positive.By doing so,not only people’s intuitive experience will be richer,but also will avoid the defect of negative mysticism.Psychology enriches the details of the theory from the perspective of subconscious and collective unconscious.Freud identified the existence of the subconscious by explaining the formation of dreams,and Jung explained the concept of the "collective unconscious" through his experience in psychotherapy.The"archetype" is concerned with the theory of common sense.Although psychology and philosophy have used another set of discourses to explain issues related to taste,aesthetic intuition,etc.,the inner sense has become a general term for neurological function.However,the problems that aimed to be solved in 18th century still exist in modern society.The situation of today’s Chinese literary and art circles is somewhat similar to that of Britain in the 18th century.Disingenuous creation and appreciation still exist;the ecological aesthetics has not yet become a custom;the problem of how to consist aesthetics and morals has not yet been resolved.The inner sense should be a "beacon",not just a physiological term.The goal of the theory of internal sense is to protect human moral good and fine taste.In this consumerist age,the theory of internal sense can be a point to break through low-taste problem,constructing Chinese aesthetic education.Furthermore,Chinese aesthetics can bypass the weakness of internal sense when constructing concepts such as "heart appreciation".The theory of internal sense can also help to construct Chinese ecological aesthetics.As a metaphor of poetic wisdom,the concept of internal sense still retains its theoretical charm in modern society.