On The Food Aesthetic In Pre-Qin

As the starting point of the aesthetics in China, that of Pre-Qin era was one which witnessed the rise of China-specific aesthetics, especially that of Chinese food which not only set the foundation of Pre-Qin-era aesthetics but also constituted an important and specific research field characterized by its originality. Many important phenomena in Pre-Qin-era aesthetics and Chinese aesthetics can only be accounted for profoundly by tracing back to the aesthetics on food in Pre-Qin era because of the solid traits of nationality established by that.Pre-Qin diet experienced a process of satisfaction of the stomach to an elevation, that is, from the physical satisfaction to the spiritual satisfaction, even to the aesthetical satisfaction in spirit exerting a wide-ranging impact on the social life and creating a series of important aesthetic concepts on food which had a profound and lasting influence on the emerging Chinese aesthetics. Thus, this dissertation would have its great academic value because of its probe into the originality and importance of Pre-Qin aesthetics on food and its influence on Pre-Qin-era aesthetics and whole Chinese aesthetics.This dissertation discusses the significance of aesthetics on food in Pre-Qin era on early people's aesthetic awareness and tries to make some theoretical explanations on the principles of creation and development through the classical works of Pre-Qin era and some archaeological discoveries.The study is based on the following two methodologies:(1) an empirical methodology:Presently, it is hard to spot academic papers on foods in Pre-Qin-era, let alone the study of Chinese aesthetic history on that, thus research from this perspective is the focus of this dissertation. Besides, this paper also combs and sorts some detailed information about the diet in Pre-Qin era and depicts the outlines of Pre-Qin aesthetic practice and aesthetic concepts so that some universal rules can be generalized.(2) a universal value: Although this paper focuses on the empirical study of aesthetics on food in Pre-Qin era, it tries to figure out the trend of shift from the perceptual practice to its rational one in early Chinese food aesthetics, even based on specific materials such as the research of Pre-Qin food aesthetics, finds out its universal rules of shift from formal aesthetics to psychological emotions and from the physical satisfaction to spiritual joy. The universality of study of Chinese aesthetics requires the elevation of the specific data and facts to the core values or theories to solve the universal problems in human beings'aesthetics with the Chinese-specific aesthetic tendency. Based on the systematic collation of Pre-Qin food aesthetics, this paper explores the universal academic values of specific materials in Chinese aesthetics to realize the integration of traditional Chinese aesthetics into the systems of general aesthetics.This dissertation consists of the following parts:Chapter One just has an overview at the food aesthetics in the Pre-Qin era including three aspects-the kinds of foods, the kinds of dining utensils, and dining activities (That is, what to eat, by what to eat and how to eat). These three aspects are important objectives of research in the history of food culture. Through the research and discussion, direct or indirect links with Pre-Qin-era food aesthetics can be found in terms of the cooking, diet, etiquette and aesthetics. The records in the classical books about the food cultures in the Pre-Qin era can make readers have a glimpse at our ancestors'food culture. Their food culture was not only an act for the continuation of life, but also can be interpreted as a kind of aesthetic pursuit.Chapter two states the food aesthetics of Pre-Qin era. This part shows that, through the Aesthetic pursuit of food itself (its shape, its color, its flavor and its artistic design), the dining utensils and the aesthetics of dining etiquette, the food activity in the Pre-Qin era already had a profound, cultural, aesthetic and spiritual implication. These achievements have had a profound and lasting impact on the later Chinese aesthetics.The Pre-Qin food aesthetics also shows an aesthetic diversity and complexity which, due to various reasons, was formed in the course of the interaction of subjectivity and objectivity, and has been in the constant process of change and creation. People in the Pre-Qin era had developed a sense of aesthetics in food through gradual and continuous accumulation of experiences in eating, which contributed to the aesthetics at the cultural and spiritual level. During the Pre-Qin era, the Chinese aesthetic concepts initially came into being; and the Pre-Qin aesthetics was the origin of the future aesthetic branches. The catering wares both laid the foundation of Chinese traditional art form, and helped form the Chinese unique aesthetic features.Chapter Three states the concepts of the food aesthetics in the Pre-Qin era and summaries the series of important achievements and concepts on food aesthetics formed from the practice of food culture. The brilliant development of the food culture during the Pre-Qin era is the very result of relentless pursuit of our ancestors for the "perfection" over the long history of national diet. Our ancestors created a unique Chinese aesthetic theory in the dining practice. As a result, the core concepts of aesthetic criteria were produced with the "taste" and "harmony" as the central concepts in the history of Chinese classical aesthetics. The Chinese classical aesthetics was originated from the fine taste of foods, but the so-called fine taste had its nudge from people's wise understanding that only when the "taste" and "harmony" go together, it accords with the humane nature, and this concept has become the very root of Chinese classical aesthetics and aesthetic conception. "Taste" is a unique concept in Chinese food culture. It is not the "flavor"in "five flavors" in foods, but a pure aesthetic concept for the enjoyment of foods, thus giving its way to aesthetics as one of the categories. But the "flat taste" has formed the "prosaic" style in Chinese aesthetic history. The highlightening of "taste" has transformed the nature of foods, a life necessity, into something artistic and aesthetic. As for the concept of "harmony", it was the most abstract aesthetic summing-up in the aesthetic principles of the Pre-Qin era. The concept "harmony" marked the stage of mastering the relations of the Chinese abstract thinking and became the rudiment of the classical aesthetic ideal pursuing harmony.With their unique thinking, our ancestors in Pre-Qin era gave us an independent interpretation with depth about the core issues of aesthetics such as the aesthetic beauty. With their practice in food, they created a unique Chinese aesthetic theory resulting in an aesthetics that was centered on the two core aesthetic concepts "taste" and "harmony". The men of letters in later generations still take the criteria of "taste" and "harmony" as reference.Chapter Four discusses the universal significance of the food aesthetics in Pre-Qin era. The dissertation aims to reveal the universal academic values of the aesthetic practice and the fruits of conceptual theory during the Pre-Qin era. The paper also reveals the universal academic values hidden in the relevant materials of the food aesthetics in that time, it also summarizes the basic objective law of the beginning and development of human's aesthetics through the Chinese food aesthetic history. People's diet in Pre-Qin era experienced a course from having raw food to cooking and cooking more delicious food. The food aesthetics of the Pre-Qin era was not only the source of Chinese food aesthetics, but one of the main sources of Chinese aesthetics. It exerted a very profound impact on the aesthetic practice and the formation of aesthetic concepts. It also gave way to the concepts of "taste" and "harmony", which had a great influence on the Chinese classical aesthetics. As a result, the core concepts of aesthetic criteria were generated with the "taste" and "harmony" as the central concepts in the history of Chinese classical aesthetics. The change from the practicality to aesthetics is the process of transforming the material products into intellectual products, in which people's aesthetic concepts, especially the aesthetic ideals have been reflected. The spontaneity of the aesthetic awareness grows into the consciousness through the transformation of the physical materials in the process of creation to making people having more interaction and communication; and through the social training, the aesthetic consciousness has been passed from generation to generation so that aesthetic Consciousness can be set and accumulated.