Research On Development Of Aesthetics Of Literature And Art As A Discipline In Mainland China (1971-2000)

The Aesthetics of Literature and Art was proposed by Chinese scholars as a new branch of Literary Theory and Aesthetics in the late 20^th century.The development of the discipline is full of argument and dispute. This paper aims at arranging the course of Aesthetics of Literature and Art in mainland China from 1971 to 2000(discipline newly established time and period of expansion). Those which are in newly established and the period of expansion the Aesthetics of Literature and Art must solve firstly are the discipline nature and the localization question, as well as the object of study, logical beginning and the discipline system. This paper analyses principle of Aesthetics of Literature and Art of the period, taking theories of Hu Jingzhi, Zhou Laixiang, Wang Shide, and Du Shuying as a clue, intending to reveal principles of the discipline in question.The full text is divided into six chapters. The introduction part reviews partial achievements of Aesthetics of Literature and Art, and tries hard to define the phrase of literature and art, then comes to a conclusion that the discipline of Aesthetics of Literature and Art is a new way to deepen the chinaization of the Aesthetics, namely extending the pure thought process of western tradition into sensible aesthetic activities.The first chapter analyses discipline idea of Hu Jingzhi who raised the term of Aesthetics of Literature and Art in mainland China firstly.Mr.Hu takes creation-works of art-appreciation as the structural frame, and suggests that literature and art are special realms of aesthetic activity, thus Aesthetics of Literature and Art should be research on aesthetic laws of literature and art. The second chapter analyses the discipline system constructed by Zhou Laixiang. Mr. Zhou suggests that aesthetic nature ought to be the logical beginning of Aesthetics of Literature and Art. Zhou Laixiang makes the historical inspection to literature and art while does structural research, and his theory is a unity of history and logic. The third chapter analyses Wang Snide's point of view on the discipline. Mr. Wang advocates taking the aesthetic activity as basis, the aesthetic characteristic as core category. The Aesthetics of Literature and Art is Aesthetics' subordinate branch, and belongs to the Literary Theory. The forth chapter analyses Du Shuying's theory system of Aesthetics of Literature and Art. Mr.Du takes the aesthetic activity as the base point and appreciation of the beauty-works of art-enjoyment of works as the clue. Du Shuying suggests that the Aesthetics of Literature and Art should concentrates on aesthetic laws of literature and art. The fifth chapter summarizes queries about Aesthetics of Literature and Art being a discipline. For instance Wang Desheng believes that the attempt to locate the Aesthetics of Literature and Art in both Aesthetics and Literary Theory systems should be worth discussing. There is no harm in try to fuzz the discipline attempt, to deepen a problem-guiding research. The sixth chapter synthesis some other achievements of the discipline in this period. These achievements are of great importance to the development of the Aesthetics of Literature and Art, to the development of Aesthetics, and to the Literary Theory. The conclusion part sums up the research methods and research objects of Aesthetics of Literature and Art. This new discipline emphases on the aesthetic characteristic of literature and art, and turns the deductive reasoning on Essence of Beauty to the realistic foundation of art. By researching the aesthetic characteristic of literature and art, the Aesthetics of Literature and Art shows loving care for the human being's destiny and future.According to Marxism this paper sets off from facts of research achievements and research history other than abstract concept of Aesthetics of Literature and Art, and tries hard to achieve the history and logic unifies, and to unify history and theory.