Er Tai Gao's "free" Aesthetic Thought

In the aesthetic system of Gao ertai, "the beauty is the symbol of freedom" as the core preposition stringing from the beginning to the end has imposed far-reaching effects on the study of contemporary Chinese aesthetics. Chiefly from three aspects, Gao ertai unfolded the logic structure of this preposition and presented systematic demonstration and theoretic construction: first, the argumentation on its philosophic base, namely that of Marxism highlights its materialist nature and Marxist standpoint; secondly, the argumentation on the connotation and major forms of "freedom" as core conception initiates the comprehensive demonstration of it in a integral way; thirdly, the argumentation on its humanist base, namely the profound dynamics characterized by creativity. The examination for its profound dynamics shows that just in a sense of creativity, any value and achievements obtained through human social practice is beautiful. Of these three aspects, "freedom" is the focus of the argumentation, thus through which most parts of aesthetic ideas of Gao ertai can be understood. Just from the definition and related argumentation on "freedom" by Gao ertai, the intrinsic contradictions and conflicts occurring deeply in it can be found. In the demonstration of the conception of "freedom" from the popular philosophic system in his age, Gao ertai obviously represents the limitations imposed by his time, that is he regarded "freedom" as "the inevitability recognized and grasped". Once devoid of the philosophic context, Gao ertai wrote from his real feelings and his creations are full of earnest expectation and praise about the diversity of freedom and its practical realization. Unveiling the cover of historical puzzle to examine this preposition by exploring the internal element of its system, we can find the profound ground of the aesthetic ideas of Gai ertai as well as the particular contributions and enlightened implications beyond his age to contemporary Chinese aesthetics.