A Study On The Thought Of Taste In Shaftsbury’s Aesthetics

Count III of Shaftsbury first began exploring aesthetics in England.Shaftsbury was the first to discuss the concept of taste in the field of aesthetics.In his theory,he assumed a judgment function of taste,that is,the sense of beauty,from which people make aesthetic judgments.Although people often say that taste is indisputable,Shaftsbury believes that taste has a constant standard,which originates from nature.Because in Shaftsbury’s view,nature is the most perfect artwork of the original creator,and humans and their beautiful senses are also created by the original creator,this standard has a similar source and is determined by it.Shaftsbury also explored aesthetic attitudes and proposed for the first time the concept of "aesthetic disinterest".In addition to the sense of beauty and aesthetic attitude,Shaftsbury also conducted detailed research and description of aesthetic styles,such as fanaticism,sublimity,humor,humor,simplicity,nature,and so on.Among these aesthetic styles,Shaftsbury advocates the most simple and natural style.After proposing aesthetic standards,Shaftsbury also explored how to enhance taste.Based on different subjects,he discussed writers,dignitaries,critics,and audiences,and made detailed requirements for them.For the artistic practice itself,Shaftsbury himself also created works and provided detailed explanations of his creative principles,which mainly stem from the classical Three Unities.He also printed his works at the beginning of the work,giving readers a lesson through words and deeds.Most of the concepts and categories discussed in later aesthetics have already been covered by him,and we can even say that the discipline of aesthetics originated from Shaftsbury’s aesthetic ideas.Although Shaftsbury’s contribution to the creation of aesthetics is indispensable,there are also many contradictions and defects in his theory of aesthetic taste.For example,regarding the issue of universality of beauty,Shaftsbury believed that beauty has a universal standard,which comes from nature,is created by the Creator,and is constantly evolving with the changes of nature.However,this foundation is based on religious beliefs,and its universality is guaranteed by religion,so it inevitably needs to be questioned.Also,is a good taste innate or cultivated? Shaftsbury emphasized both genius,fanaticism,and inspiration in his theory,as well as creation,practice,and criticism.The seemingly contradictory combination of the two appeared in Shaftsbury’s theory,reflecting Shaftsbury’s eclectic and harmonious writing style on the one hand,and the contradiction in his aesthetic thinking on the other hand.Although these contradictions were not clearly recognized by Shaftsbury himself,they were often pointed out by later researchers.By combining the evaluation of philosophical and aesthetic history on these issues,we can have a more comprehensive view of Shaftsbury’s aesthetic ideas and their impact on the evolution and changes of aesthetic history.