Abandonment Of Art And Salvation Of Aesthetic Appreciation

This dissertation attempts to set a critical study on anti-essentialism aesthetics in post-modern field. The core and theme of the study is whether beauty and art can be defined, as well as the manifestation conditions of philosophy and art in post-modern field, which derived from it. In other words, the critical study about the definition of beauty and art in post-modern field must be carried out on the basis of philosophy and art.Besides introduction and conclusion, the whole dissertation consists of five chapters:In Chapter One, based on the study of anti-form feature of modern art in 20th century and anti-aesthetic feature of post-modern art, the dissertation emphasizes the impact which artistic practice and artistic reality bring to traditional aesthetic theory. The marginality of aesthetics indicates the crisis of aesthetics in the surface field.In Chapter Two, the dissertation analyzes the "end of philosophy" and the "end of art" from the point of "end". The "end" of art and philosophy, the two extremes of aesthetics, ends aesthetics itself theoretically. "End" does not mean dying out. The "end" of aesthetics is not the retirement of aesthetic problem. On the contrary, it makes aesthetic problem more distinct in post-modern field. The most evident issue is that the definition of beauty and art must be reconsidered.In Chapter Three, the dissertation analyzes the abandonment of definition about beauty and art in anti-essentialism aesthetics. The method of analysis is undoubtedly a new thinking one, although it is a negative one. Some theories are borrowed to stress that anti-essentialism aesthetics abandons to define beauty and art, including Ludwig Wittgenstein's pragmatic analysis on the basis of "meaning is use" and "family resemblance" about contextual theory, Kennick's incorrect analysis of traditional aesthetic constructing base and Weitz's theory that art can not be defined.In Chapter Four, the dissertation tries to find the expansion of the definition about beauty and art in post-modern field through the limited analysis of anti-essentialism aesthetics. The expansion includes Danto's "Artworld" theory, Dickie's "Institutional theory" and Bourdieu's "Artistic Field" theory. Under the embarrassment which the traditional aesthetic thoughts cease to be in effect with the current artistic practice and aesthetic reality, they try to break the established theory pattern and expression method, continue the theoretical life of the aesthetical problem.In Chapter Five, on the basis of Chapter Four's view conversion of artistic problem, that is, from "what is art" to "how to receive the identity as arts", the dissertation pays close attention to the current aesthetic reality. When a work of art can't be understood through aesthetic appreciation, but through rational judgment of identity cognizance, Kant's theory of aesthetic judgment must be called into question. Then it is judgment, not aesthetic appreciation, that becomes the post-modern virtuality. In this way, we bring up again aesthetic appreciation in the changed reality and by means of a somewhat stripping like "family resemblance", accomplish the aesthetic task which aesthetic reality and artistic practice set up.