Material And Imagine——The Aesthetic Salvation Of Bachelard

This paper, from the perspective of material, imagination and existence, tries to explore the connotation of human’s "poetic existence" in the poetic theory of material and imagination theorized by a French philosopher---- Gaston Bachelard, which provides the modern aesthetic salvation with important enlightenment.This thesis is divided into four parts:the modern evolution of material, imagination and existence; existence and poetics of "material elements of imagination"; existence and poetics of "phenomenological imagination"; the aesthetic redemption of Gaston Bachelard aesthetic salvation.Part I:The modern evolution of material, imagination and existence. This part mainly points out the contradictions between the existence of human and substantial imagination, the existence of human and imagination in the modern background. As a philosopher, Bachelard has been concerned about the existence of human without interruption. He is deeply worried on the excessive growth of unreasonable modernity and the gloom of imagination. He believes that Cartesian rationalism is flawed and this rationalism eventually lets itself slide into extreme rationalism. In fact, this trend has been showed themselves. The extreme development of rationalism inevitably leads to the development of the king-substance, and imagination representing the human spirit is ruthlessly expelled. Thus, unbalanced development appears. A direct consequence of this situation is the substance filling in the spiritual level and the human spirit of imagination having no foothold, which will lead to people’s spiritual emptiness and alienation. Bachelard’s theory was born in such contradictions with modernity, aiming at amending the uneven development of modernity and imagination, what’s more and then alleviating shortage of modern people’s spiritual imagination.Part II:The Poetics of existence and material elements imagination. This part explores the poetics theory of material elements imagination. Bachelard selects a large number of images in literature and poetry as the study object, and divides them into different types according to the fire, water, gasand earth in order to study the human imagination. In the《Fire of psychoanalysis》,Gaston Bachelard points out the value of human’s imagination. Imagination can improve the vitality of human’s spirit which material cannot do; In the《Water and Dream》,Gaston Bachelard discusses the essence of imagination, namely the material kernel of imagination. Material and imagination are not related at all. Material cultivates imagination, and it is the foundation and essence of imagination. At the same time, imagination plays a positive role with human’s participation; in the《Air and Dream》,Gaston Bachelard further explores the ascending motion of imagination. Just as what Bachelard says:"you are the depth of all the tops!"This movement, through this movement, Bachelard tells us that the imagination has the ability of infinite creation,and the ability of surpassing the reality;《Land and Will》aims at studying the imagination which plays a role in material. The imagination needs the corresponding will and time which human pays to material, and this is the focus of Gaston Bachelard’s discussion; In deep study of soil《Land and Rest in peace》, the author studies the poetic imagination of the depth of earth, namely, the imagination shown by the exterior and interior of earth. Our spiritual imagination can not be cheated by the surface confusion and ignore the exploration to the intrinsic spirit of the material.PartIII:The Poetics of the existence and the "phenomenological imagination". This part focuses on the study of Bachelaed’s phenomenology, and the study of imagination of the people in the poetic imagination. This is the study of imagination from the perspective of "phenomenology", and it is the ontology study of this spiritual activity. Bachelard roughly uses three books to study the imagination. Generally, they all follow the logical order of before "Imagination", "Imagination", after "Imagination". The 《Poetics of Space》is a study of before "imagination". He uses the pure intent of phenomenology to show his purpose of "approaching the reality of poetic language". The Poetics of dreams is a study of "imagination".Bachelard distinguishes between night dreams and dreams, and focuses on exploring the special and rich possibilities of dreams.《Phenomenology of Poetic)) image needs readers to actively participate in the image which is being produced. It has made a clear distinction between the passivity of phenomenon and empirical accounts. Poetry is the presence of boosting, and people who is boosting would not violate themselves;《The candle fire》 is the study of after" Imagine ". Bachelard tells us a story about a lonely person who produces some new imagination while he is staring at the lonely candles. Bachelaed holds that a man who enjoys imagination is willing to imagine, and is eager to reverie. Such existence holds the truth and holds the future of mankind.Part IV:The aesthetic salvation of Bachelard. The manifestation of existence connotation in Bachelard’s material imagination Poetics theory include the following aspects. First, it is a kind of philosophy which is made a definition of for the sake of human. Second, it inspires a new understanding of civilization as well as new thinking. The new thinking of this civilization contains the new understandings about material and spirit, reason and sensibility, material and imagination. What’s more, it shows a sense of seeking roots. In addition, from the external point of view, Bachelard’s theory has an extensive influence and value. His theory of material imagination keeps up with the times, and has inspired some theorists such as Blair, Foucault, Althusser, Deleuzein and other ones on the aspects of the existence of modern people, as well as aesthetic salvation.