In A Turning Point In The Aesthetics

It is the purpose of the essay to explain some important questions in the research of L. Wittgenstein's aesthetics and discuss the significance on theory and the status on aesthetics history of his aesthetics thinking on the base of concluding the latest research fruit.This essay includes three aspects: science and aesthetics (chapter 1-Former Wittgenstein, and chapter 2-Later Wittgenstein), anti-essentialism (Chapter 3), and anti-theorization(Chapter 4).Under the background of scientific aesthetics being a major tend, Wittgenstein drew a limit between science and aesthetics. Using the words of Engelmann, he drew the limit of ocean. Science is meaningful(cognitive knowledge, may be approved or be proved false), aesthetics is nonsense( not cognitive knowledge, cannot be approve or be proved false); science lies on lower ladder and is the secondary thing, aesthetics lies on the highest ladder and is the truly important thing; science can be said, aesthetics cannot be said and you must keep silent about it; Wittgenstein advanced the important concept of "the most essential part of aesthetics", belonging to Ethics, pursuing the absolute value, and being the highest life realm; Wittgenstein's aesthetics is a Ethical one, including axiological meaning and absolute happiness of transcendental meaning. Otherwise, this essay will analyze the aphorism-"Ethics and aesthetics are one" and discuss how to understand and translate it. It will also clarify some misunderstanding about the famous sentence-"Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent."Later Wittgenstein paid attention to psychological aesthetics, a branch of scientific aesthetics. He negated the approach of experimental aesthetics ultimately for thinking it cannot resolve aesthetic problems. To psychoanalysis aesthetics, he admired Frued's achievement, but refused his approaches and thinking. With attention of kidology, he paid attention to how kids study mother tongue and the applied question about meaning of language. He animadverted on Augustine's language-image theory and attached importance to the approach of analyzing the language-game and life form. He was on the way of anti-essentialism and anti-theorization.One important characteristic of Later Wittgenstein's aesthetics is anti-essentialism embodied in the parable of "family-resemblances". In aesthetic field it came down to two problems: the definition of art and the essence of beauty.Wittgenstein had not talk about the former in detail, but his thinking enlightened the followers going forward. They refused to definite art in the way of finding the essences and some ones denied definition of art. In latest years, cluster theory resolved the problem creatively, with both opposing the essentialism and giving a definition to art. Though "essence of beauty" was an important problem in the history of aesthetics, Wittgenstein firmly negated it.The other important characteristic of Later Wittgenstein's aesthetics is anti-theorization. He opposed using the approaches of theorization in aesthetic research and advocated description. He did not talk about the theory of aesthetic feelings, but thought it more important to describe all kinds of aesthetic reactions. He opposed the tendency of theorization in the field of art works research, too. One of his important terms-"language-game", its basis is practice and life form. On this question, I agreed with Bergen School and opposed Weitz's point. Aesthetic culture is emphasized by Wittgenstein, it is not something abstract but material life form.Wittgenstein's limitations. His attitude of negating theorization approaches completely is extreme and unilateral. I think it is more correct to make description and theorization supply each other. His refusing psychological approaches completely is not correct, too. On certain aesthetic problems, psychological approaches may be a good choice.To sum up, this essay argues that Wittgenstein's aesthetics thinking had the power to animadvert on and perfect traditional aesthetics. On the point of history of aesthetic, his thinking had the significance of milestone.