Rousseau's Aesthetic Thought And Its Contemporary Significance

Jean Jacque Rousseau was an outstanding French thinker, philosopher and educationist during the Enlightenment period in 18th century. Although he didn't raise the concept of"aesthetic education",his education thought was included rich contents of aesthetis education. His thought, which reflected the spirit of his time, has, too, exerted far-reaching influence to the latter generations. It is of more prominent significance to re-realize the connotation and contemporary value of Rousseau's Naturalist aesthetic education in the present days when the crises, both ecological and spiritual, are of unprecedented severity.The thesis is composed of three sections.The first section deals not only with the investigation of the historical background, including the social conditions, politically, economically and educationally in those days as well as the creative process of Emile, in which Rousseau's thought on aesthetic education came into being, but also with the analysis of the philosophical basis and theoretical source of Rousseau's thought.Natural philosophy is the quintessence of Rousseau's philosophy, and the opposition of nature and civilization is the basis of the development of his thought, and on the very basis has been established his naturalist thought on education, especially aesthetic education. By the argumentation of the origin of human inequality, Rousseau points out that the private ownership is the origin of human inequality, and the more development of the social civilization, which stands on the basis of the private ownership, the more human inequality in spirit, and accordingly, the free human nature is twisted. Rousseau thereby conceives to create new humanity-fitting environment and society by means of social and political reform and education so that the humanity could be regained in a higher degree of civilization. The publishing of Emile, one of his works on education, serves as a symbol of the emergence of Rousseau's thought on natural education.The second section deals with the inquiry into Rousseau's thought on aesthetic education in terms of the connotation, the purpose, the principle as well as the means of implementation.Nature is the core conception of Rousseau's thought on aesthetic education, and"natural"means"perfect". Nature ,in Rousseau's thought ,is the soul and basis of perfect humanity. The aesthetic power, which serves as the important symbol of the perfect humanity, brings about the sense of beauty coming from the combination of human soul and the beautiful things.Rousseau took it for his ideal to cultivate the sound and perfect natural man before perfect new man as well as ideal humanity and fine social system come into being. Rousseau advocates Nature and regards it as the supreme model of beauty, which can not only mold the human character, but also contribute to the cultivation of the natural and simple interest. He, therefore, attaches importance to the aesthetic education by means of the appreciation of natural beauty.The cultivating methods lie mainly on the five aspects: 1) to keep perfect and sound health through physical training; 2) to cultivate acute and rich aesthetic judgment through games and drawings; 3) to stimulate the students'capability of reason through the natural and intuitive teaching; 4) to cultivate the students'love and virtue through the emotional exchange; and 5) to train the sound power of aesthetic appreciation through the widespread beauty-appreciating activities. See that certain liberty is given to the students during their learning so that they could enjoy the liberty and pleasure in a full degree.The third section deals with the influence of Rousseau's thought on aesthetic education, with the significance in the present time, and with the shortcomings existing in his thought.Rousseau's thought on aesthetic education has exerted tremendous influence upon the education in Europe and America at that time and in the later years.Kant and Schiller have absorbed more of Rousseau's thought, such as the principle of liberty, the admiration of feeling, and the reversion to nature and promoted the education of free will and aesthetic appreciation to a larger degree; and Marx, too, devoted all his life to the liberty and emancipation of the human beings.Many thinkers, men of letters, and educators in modern China have been profound influenced by Rousseau, too. Cai Yuanpei, a famous aesthetic educator and thinker, took liberty, equality and fraternity, which were advocated by Rousseau, as the aim of the innovative education. He also raised the concept of"substituting the aesthetic education for the religion."Rousseau's thought on education is in agreement with our present educational goal. It, therefore, bears the realistic significance not only in the cultivation of the perfect persons with full development of various qualities such as virtue, intelligence, physical building, aesthetic judgment, and working ability, and with the physical and mental health, but also in the realization of the"ecological nature"of the contemporary human beings, and also in the recovery the harmony between man and nature.Due to historical reason, there, too, exist some shortcomings in Rousseau's thought on Aesthetic education in that he has gone to extreme in his logical basis of idealism, in his ignorance of the sociality of the nature of education, and in his negation of science and art. With all this, however, Rousseau has undoubtedly given an unprecedented profound criticism to the modern industrial civilization, and the trend of his revelation has brought about boundless inspirations to his followers as well.